Nindo: Vortex
by Aiddon Raziel Valentine
Summary: Three months after Naruto's team saved Gaara from the Akatsuki, the boy now embarks on his first mission as a Chuunin: go to Uzushiogakure and prevent Orochimaru from restoring the use of his arms. However, what he never expected was to learn of his name, his ancestry, and why Uzushio was wiped off the map. Rated for colorful language. AU, OCs
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Long ago_

_When the world was young_

_There lived ten beasts_

_Bound by none_

_They lived peacefully_

_And happily_

_But one day_

_They were leashed_

_And so did much suffering begin_

XXXXX

Three years. It was only two words, but to live it was very long indeed. As much as he hated it, Itachi was forced to wait. His heart boiled, anxious and uneasy.

Every day dragged, feeling like an eternity. Missions went well, Itachi and his colleagues being given them far more frequently than they had been in the past. New members joined; some for personal interests, others for philosophical ones, and a few sick individuals for more…base desires. It didn't matter though, because the leader always said the same thing to every new recruit:

"_Come with me, and I shall grant you your deepest desire."_

Where was his though? Seven years Itachi had been with them and his wish, simple as it was, still lay unfulfilled. Even after the first Beast fell to Hidan and Kakuzu and the second to Shuu and Zetsu. Their plans had been moving forward quicker than ever. And yet Itachi's own stood still. He waited. And then, one day, they were called once more.

"Fuck, the hell's the boss doing callin' us up outta the blue like this?" Hidan dejectedly sharpened that imposing scythe of his.

"Oh shut it, hm. You probably weren't doing anything worthwhile anyway, hm."

"Don't test me, you little shit!"

The air crackled with enmity, Deidara's hand straying to his pouch. Itachi sighed. Meeting like this in person was always so problematic. Something heavy slammed into the floor, the ground cracking.

"Enough, the both of you." The perpetrator said, her voice echoing. "As much as I'd like to stretch my legs, I prefer it not be because of men dealing with their testosterone issues."

"Seconded, there are other matters at hand."

That low, throaty growl emanated from the middle of the dark room. Eyes, solemnly burning, cut into everyone who saw them. The meeting had begun.

"I believe you two have been doing most of the legwork lately." The leader glanced to the right to a pair of silhouettes. "What have you found?"

"The Nine-Tails boy is returning home. He was at Miikedo Pass last we heard." The voice was light and airy, unsettlingly deliberate.

"And the others?"

"The Two and Seven are still eluding us. As for Eight…"

"Yes, he will be most troublesome. What about Six and Five?" Those piercing eyes glanced above.

"We know Six's identity, but they're refusing to stay in one spot for long." This voice was irritated, Itachi practically hearing her nibbling her nails. "As for Five, they dropped off the face of the world after we tracked them for two weeks. I'm still trying to figure that out."

"So five positively identified and two remain enigmas. It is progress."

"But is it enough?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence he had held up until now.

Red met violet. This was not the first time they had done this.

"Itachi, we have been over this. You will get what you want."

Always the same reassurance from him; how utterly tedious, Itachi thought.

"As for the situation, I believe we have enough information to act accordingly. Sasori, Deidara, Shuu, you will lead the next operation. Kisame, Itachi, you are on backup should it be needed."

"Hehehe, I was waiting for ya to say that, hm. It's been awhile since Master Sasori and I got to compare styles, hm."

"You'd better have learned a few new tricks, Deidara."

"A good artist always does, hm. I'll give ya the show of a lifetime."

That anxiety inside Itachi was building, though now for completely different reasons. For the first time in three years the world felt like it was moving again.

"Itachi."

Those words stopped him just as he was going to leave. Once again he looked into his superior's eyes, the only things in the world that could unsettle him. Just the two of them now, left alone in the underground chamber. Whenever the leader wanted someone's attention it was important.

"Yes, sir?"

"How are your eyes?"

"Fine. I've not been in a situation where the Sankishin are necessary for quite some time."

"Good. We need you and he Sharingan for our plans. Don't let them go to waste, especially on your little…_projects_."

He couldn't miss that tone of contempt in the leader's voice.

"Sir, I believe we had a deal."

"And we still do, Itachi. But, we are both obligated to fulfill our ends of it. And yours is quite the special case."

"What do you want me to say, Pain-san?"

"I need your word that your actions and your desires will not interfere with the goal of Akatsuki."

"Interfere?" Pain dared to ask that of Itachi? He who slaughtered his own clan to prove his worth? Who risked his life time and time again for the Akatsuki? How many times had he proven his loyalty, his conviction? And he was the one being asked this?

Itachi glared slightly, tempted to use his Mangekyou for the first time in months. No, he had to tolerate it. After all, this was his only way, his only avenue to achieve his wish. He reverted his eyes to their natural, black state. And he gave Pain what he wanted to hear.

"No, Pain-san, they will not."

"And should your brother interfere…?"

Sasuke, always so problematic. The brother he spared, the one he set on the path years ago. The one-in-a-thousand chance of him and the Kyuubi boy being so intricately connected. He saw what Pain was asking about. The most difficult of choices, one he must make now. If Sasuke were to become a problem…

"Then I shall make him _beg_ for death."

XXXXX

Post chapter notes: So, a lot of you are probably thinking "what the hell is this?" Well, like many people who got into manga over the past decade, one of the first I really got invested in was Naruto. And, like a lot of people who got invested,…I just kinda stopped reading after awhile. However, the recent ending to the series and the release of the final movie has gotten me interested again because another thing Naruto got me into was writing. About ten years ago I made one of my first fanfiction in the form of "Nindo" about where I thought the series was going (at the time of beginning it the series was in the middle of the Rescue Sasuke arc). I never finished it, perhaps due to things coming up or just interest dwindling. I wish I still had the old manuscripts and drafts (having lost them with switching computers over the years) because there were some things in it I found intriguing when comparing it to how the series went canonically (I might bring up a thing or two in author's notes when I find it relevant to talk about).

So, anyway, this is essentially my attempt at doing a remake of that story I left unfinished. There will be a LOT of breaks from canon; there will be a lot of threads either changed or dropped and new ones brought up. New characters will be introduced, old ones might be dropped (though I will try to incorporate as many of the established cast as I can) and established ones might have different arcs and or characterization. As for structure, this will be done on a sort of series basis. Sirocco is essentially the first volume of a light novel series or the first season of a TV show. When this is done a sequel will pop up and we'll continue the funsies. So, with all that out of the way, I welcome you to my series, Nindo.


	2. Scroll 1

Scroll One: Homecoming

It was the middle of summer, the sun high in the sky with its heat bearing down on the earth with total abandon. The cicadas were blaring with their raucous song to make sure no moment was without noise. Beneath that scorching sun and among the blazing heat, two figures walked down the main road toward Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves.

"Bluuuuugh, we really should have gone through the woods." A blond youth clad in orange complained, looking positively drained from the humidity.

"Yeah and then we'd be stumbling through brush, thorns, maybe having to deal with some nasty poisonous flowers, and then avoiding a predator or two. Oh, and don't forget the heat doesn't vanish just because we'd be in the shade." His companion, an old man with spiny, white hair, rolled his eyes.

"Still, I'd prefer it to cooking out here like yakitori. Why didn't we wait until the fall?"

"Kid, this is a helluva lot easier than some of the stuff we did. Besides, I thought you'd wanna get back as soon as possible."

"Yeah, Teuchi-san has probably been crying his eyes out since I left."

"The first damn thing you think about is ramen…"

The old man couldn't help but grin. Some things about his apprentice never changed.

After a couple hours an immense wall loomed over the horizon, casting a huge shadow over the road. Naruto gave a foxy grin and said at the top of his lungs.

"I'M BAAAAAAAACK!"

Despite his sore feet and aching legs, Naruto couldn't help but run right into Konoha's busy streets like he had years before. It was exactly as it was before, every shop, every house, nothing had changed since he left. He really was home.

Where to start though? Who should he go see first? Maybe Sakura-chan or Kakashi-sensei, though Tsunade was fine. Then there was the problem of which stories to tell. Jiraiya had taken him from one end of the continent to the other. Maybe he should talk about camping out in the mangroves at the Land of the Waves, seeing the monks at Fuyukakuji, listening to all sorts of stories about the wolf god in the Land of Iron, or just how many ramen shops he'd been to. Starting off small was probably for the best.

Naruto leapt up to a nearby water tower, going as high as he could in order to get a good view. He breathed in the city air, certain he could sniff out Ichiraku without trouble. He gazed upon his home again and saw the Hokage Monument…which had a new addition to its roster.

"Ha, so they added Tsunade's ugly old mug?" He snickered.

"Just finished it up six months ago. There was a big ceremony and everything."

Naruto turned to the muffled voice, seeing a masked face and a shock of messy, silver hair sticking up.

"I was wondering when I'd find you, Sensei."

"Well, Naruto, you're not the stealthiest. I heard you at the front gate."

"Hehe, gotta make an impression! Oh yeah, Jiraiya said you could have this."

Naruto produced something from his pocket, revealing a paperback volume. It was brand new, like it was fresh off the printing press.

"Th-this…!" Kakashi's single eye looked ready to bulge out of its socket.

"Yeah, the old man finally got it done a few weeks ago. I didn't really find it interesting, but I know you like 'em."

"Kid, how about you start reading more before knockin' on fine literature?" Jiraiya ground his knuckles into the top of Naruto's head.

"I read plenty! And will you stop doing that every time you get pissed off?"

"Then stop irritating me."

Naruto went off down the street towards Ichiraku, his stomach growling just from the scents of cuisine floating everywhere. Kakashi, engrossed as he was in _Icha Icha Tactics_, looked to Jiraiya.

"As promised, your student is now returned, Kakashi."

"Still the same old Naruto. He didn't tell me anything about his training in letters or when he called."

"Sorry, master's orders. Couldn't let anything secret get through."

"And the Akatsuki?"

Jiraiya's face turned grim. He had been hearing rumors about the Akatsuki more often lately. He didn't know what it was, but something set them off. In the last year alone they'd been moving more, showing themselves in the underworld frequently for something or another, be it information, supplies, or money. Worst of all though, they were growing.

"Do you think it's going to happen again, Jiraiya? Are we on the verge of another war?" Kakashi had lost enough in war. And so had Jiraiya.

"Maybe, but not as long as the Tailed Beasts are kept safe."

XXXXX

Ichiraku was easy to sniff out for Naruto. He'd been to a lot of ramen shops and stalls over the past few years, but none of them would ever compare to the one he'd frequented ever since his pre-academy years. What he didn't expect was that it had gotten bigger.

"Huh, looks like Teuchi-san is moving up in the world."

Instead of a big stall it was now a decent-sized shop. Not especially fancy, but a lot more extravagant than what Naruto had been to every day in his childhood. He stepped inside, the smell of cuisine wafting into his nose, making him salivate.

It was very busy, customers at booths enjoying their meal sets or sipping sake. The chatter filled the air as people went on about their day or funny stories. Waitresses took orders and delivered meals.

"Welcome s-" Someone said before cutting themselves off. Naruto turned to see a pretty brunette with a bandanna around her head. She was downright shocked.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"Been awhile, hasn't it, Ayame-san?" Naruto grinned.

"Dad, Dad! We got someone special! Get out here!" She called to the back. "Come on, I'll get ya a seat."

Naruto's stomach grumbled. Man, everything in here smelled good. Ayame hadn't changed much, her hair getting a bit longer, but she was as sweet and pretty as ever.

"Ayame what in tarnation is…" Another familiar voice "Well I'll be, if it ain't my favorite customer."

Teuchi gave Naruto a hearty slap on the arm, his old face giving a smile Naruto had missed. Naruto grinned back.

"Man, you sure have renovated the place, old timer."

"Damn straight, business has been good for awhile. Still, been lonely without ya, kid."

"Yeah, Dad was practically crying his eyes out with how much money he lost with you."

"Well, expect me to be frequenting again."

"Ya damn well better. Now, just sit here and let me whip up something special for your homecoming."

Teuchi gave Naruto a booth on the second floor next to the window. It was odd sitting on tatami mats as opposed to the chairs outside. Still, it was a nice view of the Hokage Monument. The sun was hitting the Hokages' faces right about now.

"Is this seat taken?" Someone next to him asked.

"Not at all."

"Thanks, Naruto."

His head snapped to the new arrival, seeing a pretty, pink-haired girl in red. And if he said anything about her forehead she'd slap him silly. Sakura had changed a bit, getting taller and leaner and she had a mark on her forehead like Tsunade now.

"First thing you do is hit up this place." She frowned. "Did you ever think of heading to Master's office to come and see me?"

"Hehe, sorry, I haven't had anything decent all day. The old man and I were on the road since we got up this morning."

"Alright, I'll forgive you this once. It is your homecoming, so today's on me."

"Ah, Sakura-chan!" Ayame swung by. "I was wondering if you'd drop by today."

"Unagi and roast black tea, Ayame-san. Oh, and some anmitsu, if you can."

"You got it, Dad's almost done with Naruto's order."

"You seem to have made yourself familiar."

"Well, I dropped by from time to time after training to let them know how you were. Speaking of which, I haven't heard anything from you for three weeks. What were you and Jiraiya-san up to?"

"Oh, this and that. I was forbidden from communicating for awhile since he was getting into some really complex stuff he couldn't tell anyone."

"So, I get to hear about your three-month misadventures with a pervy monk, the time you finally had a ramen bowl so bad you couldn't finish it, and the time you got chased by wild tigers and honey badgers, but I don't get to hear about your training?"

"Yeah, Iga-senpai was way too much fun. Wish we could have spent more time at Fuyukakuji."

"Got your grub!"

Ayame came carrying Sakura's eel and giving Naruto the biggest bowl of miso ramen he'd ever seen. She and Sakura gave him a warm smile.

"Welcome home."

They ate, Naruto greedily slurping down the hot ramen he had been given. Man, even after eating at little stalls and gourmet restaurants all over the place, nothing could ever compare to those special seasonings Teuchi put into his stuff.

He and Sakura talked about the last few years apart. She's done quite well with her training, Tsunade saying she might be on par with Shizune by now. Unlike Naruto her training involved very little traveling, though she went with the old hag on occasion whenever the situation called for it.

"Aaaaah, that hit the spot."

"Well, you're welcome. I'm not paying for ya every day, y'know."

"Maybe I'll treat you next time."

Ayame and Teuchi saw them out, saying they hoped to see them again soon. Despite Naruto's inclination to go running around the city to get his bearings again and see how his old classmates were doing, Sakura forced him to head to the Hokage's office.

"Master has been telling me training isn't the only thing you and Jiraiya were up to."

"Yeah, sometimes he'd drag me along for info-gathering, something about getting my recon skills sharpened. I've been to a lot of crappy bars and shops, I'll tell ya that."

"So you must have heard a lot about criminals and such."

"Not to brag, but I can hold my own." He was a bit too proud of that.

"And…Sasuke-kun?"

Her green eyes looked at him, like she was a hurt puppy. Truth be told, Naruto had been hoping to avoid that conversation. He couldn't even remember the last time he mentioned Sasuke's name, Jiraiya disliking Naruto bringing up the subject. Even Naruto didn't like to talk about it.

For the first few months of training he'd been really angry at Sasuke, in fact he still was. Whenever he remembered that idiot's face with it came Sakura the day of the retrieval operation, bawling her eyes out as she begged Naruto to bring him back. And then Chouji emaciated to his bones, Neji with a hole the size of a fist in his shoulder, Kiba and Akamaru half-dead, the entire thing would have gone from just a failure to an outright disaster if they hadn't gotten lucky with the backup they got at the last minute.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, I'm just as in the dark as you are." He couldn't lie to her. He wanted to be soft and nice, but he couldn't do that to her.

"Jiraiya has told you nothing?"

"I don't think he really cares. He might have just been so focused on my training that he couldn't. And to be honest, I didn't _want_ to think about Sasuke for awhile. I mean, he broke your heart, right?"

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" Oh crap, she looked like she was about to cry.

"Sakura-chan, I…"

"It's alright. Let's just drop it for now, I'm fine."

What a load of shit. She wasn't fine. She became that old hag's apprentice precisely because she wasn't fine. Just how many tears did she shed over these past few years? Man, he was even more pissed off now.

"Hey, Sakura-chan."

"Yeah?"

"When I was hoppin' around, one of the guys the old man and me met told me something."

"What was it?"

"That guys shouldn't make girls cry. And if they do, you kick their ass and make them beg for forgiveness."

Sakura looked him in the eyes, shocked that he would say something like that. To which she then started laughing.

"H-hey, I'm bein' serious here!"

"Hahahaha, and you're doing a lousy job at it!" Her sides were splitting. "Stick to being the goofball, Naruto, it works a lot better."

"Ugh, can't I just be cool for once?"

"Being 'cool' isn't your thing. Still, thanks for that. Don't worry about any tears, 'cuz I don't plan on crying over it until everything is dealt with."

Seeing her smile was enough. Maybe she had gotten a bit stronger since the last time they had met. Still, Naruto was going to make sure she wouldn't have to cry anymore.

With that, they went to the Hokage's office.


	3. Scroll 2

Scroll Two: A Harsh Wind

At the borders between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind moved three figures in the night. They didn't take the roads, going through the forests and underbrush towards their destination. Not an hour ago they had managed to sneak past the border patrol and now were deep into the target country. Still, they had to be careful. The last thing they needed was to give Sunagakure a warning.

Deidara adjusted the collar of his cloak, blocking off the sand blowing in from the night wind. Though this place was scorching hot during the day, at night it swiftly turned cool. And with the night came the gales that would strip someone's skin with the coarse, stinging sand that was kicked up.

He was annoyed he wasn't allowed to use his clay for transport, instead having walk all the way to Sunagakure. There had to be an easier way to do this. Hopefully the return trip wouldn't be as tedious.

"Something wrong, Deidara?" Shuu asked, adjusting the scarf he always wore close to his face.

"Just wondering how Master Sasori managed to tolerate this crappy place, hm."

"The wilderness can be unforgiving, which is why I tried to stay in the city whenever I came by here. You can see why Sunagakure is so deep within the desert."

"Quite." Sasori said. "The best defense is always one that is natural."

"Unless of course you can improve on it like you can, right, Master Sasori, hm?"

"Hehehe, of course. Just be ready with your bombs when we get into the city limits. The Jinchuuriki is going to be especially troublesome."

They kept running, Sunagakure getting closer and closer.

X

"HUH!? Whaddya mean everyone is a Chuunin but me?!"

"Isn't that what it says on the tin? Look, time didn't stop when you were away. Heck, Lee-kun and Neji are Jonin now and last time I saw Lee-kun he said Neji is looking at getting into the ANBU."

"Stop iiiiiiit, yer killing me." His dreams were crumbling before his very eyes.

"Well the Chuunin exams are next month, so maybe you'll be able to work something out with Master." Sakura thought it was best to leave the _really_ bad one until later.

Everyone was running around like their asses were on fire, Naruto barely dodging someone running down the hall holding what looked like enough paper to have slaughtered half a forest. He hadn't seen this much hustle and bustle since he and Jiraiya went to Yamushi City. They finally came to Tsunade's office.

"I'm back!"

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to see Naruto burst through the doors in his usual exuberant manner. Tsunade looked up from behind a mountain of forms to see them. She grinned coyly

"I was wondering when you'd get around to coming here. Shizune, I'll be busy for a bit."

"But you still have things to approve!"

"Well, that's why I'm leaving you my seal. I'll be back in a bit."

The old hag couldn't have left her desk fast enough, obviously having waited for the perfect distraction. She hurried Sakura and Naruto over to her private quarters for some long overdue R&amp;R.

"Sorry, Chuunin exams have been running everyone ragged. Naruto, for all your bragging about wanting to become Hokage I hope you realize there's a lot of drudgery involved."

"Maybe I'll figure out some way to cut down on all the paperwork. I don't wanna be looking as bad as you do when I'm your age."

"You're lucky I'm more concerned about loosening up than treating that smart mouth of yours."

Tsunade pored over the various sake bottles she had in her study until she decided on the appropriate one. As much as she'd like to just swig the whole thing, she held herself back and poured out a small dish.

She was a bit surprised at how much taller Naruto had gotten. He was leaner too, his face being not quite as round as before. She wanted to ask him all about the things Jiraiya had put him through during their little training trip, but she knew they had to get down to business.

"You were supposed to come to my office right when you got into town."

"Sorry, I hadn't had a bite to eat all day and I wanted to check the town out."

"Naruto, I say that because there have been some movements as of late that concern me."

"Akatsuki, right?"

Naruto cocked his eyebrow at Sakura when she said that. She smirked back.

"Sorry, I've been getting nosy looking through your notes, Master."

"It's alright. You were probably going to find out anyway." Tsunade took another swig of her sake before setting the bottle aside. "The Akatsuki numbered nine three years ago. Now they're up to at least fourteen, if my sources are correct."

"So that's why the old man had me come straight to Konoha."

"Yes, and there have been rumors of them tracking down…interesting targets."

Jinchuuriki, Naruto thought. Over the years Jiraiya had taught him more about the concept. Every now and again a nation or hidden village would try to wrangle one of the Beasts up, containing it in a vessel. Naruto could understand why; a powerful ninja could turn the tide of battle and one with the kind of chakra the Beasts contained was like a weapon of mass destruction. When last Jiraiya knew, there were about five confirmed Jinchuuriki, including Naruto. Naruto's mind then drifted to a boy just like him he last saw about two years ago.

"Granny, is Gaara a target?"

"Probably, but I doubt the Kazekage is going to go quietly."

"Kazekage?"

X

It was noon in Sunagakure, the scorching sun high in the sky. Overlooking the city was a brown-haired youth with a tattoo above his left eye. He scanned the skyline, seeing just how far his town had come in these past few years. It had been odd, but things were for the better now.

A few years ago he had been Gaara of the Desert, a demon despised and feared by all. Even his own family had been afraid of him, looking at him with scorn and contempt. He did much the same, even burning that tattoo into his forehead as a reminder of the only thing he should love. That had changed though. And for that he was grateful.

The council meeting had ended a few minutes ago. Everyone brought up the report about the upcoming Chuunin exams. The curriculum they had adopted via recommendation from Konoha had been proving quite useful and trade was up. The Chuunin exams would also provide a good show of relations between the two villages. To think three years ago that Sunagakure had tried to invade them with Orochimaru. Konoha certainly had a forgiving bunch in charge.

When Akatsuki came up, however, things took a turn for the grim. It was certainly a lot to take in at once, especially with the idea that they might attack Sunagakure. ANBU were set about in key entry points with constant surveillance. But at the end of the day, Gaara himself would probably be the deciding factor.

_Attack me and I shall break your bones. _Gaara thought _Attack my people and I shall make you wish you were never born_

X

"Oh bother, none of these are interesting at all." Shuu examined a sword he had taken from a nearby corpse. His narrow eyes were a picture of utter disappointment.

"Well, mass-produced models ain't made for beauty, hm." Deidara had taken out his clay and was readying his move.

"Yech, these aren't tools, they're scrap." Shuu threw a kunai, hitting a nearby body square in the heart. "Does no one make weapons worth talking about anymore? Why do so many people forget about beauty to complement practicality?"

"Well, if you're looking for a work of art I'll give you the show of a lifetime, hm."

"Just be quick about it, Deidara." Sasori warned. "We are dealing with a Kage here and we need to bring him in alive."

"Don't worry, if Shuu and I double team him it should take five minutes, hm."

The two hopped on the clay bird Deidara had conjured and took to the skies. Finally, they could move freely. Deidara always hated going by foot, and there was no better way to appreciate aesthetics than being as high as possible. The architecture of Sunagakure was unique and had a certain charm in its quaint simplicity. It would look even better when it was blown to smithereens.

"Three sky guards, Deidara."

"I saw 'em, Shuu, don't worry about it, hm."

Deidara reached into his pack and pulled out three constructs in the shape of spiders. A specialty of his. Despite the height they were at, all three of the spiders hit their targets and Deidara was rewarded with an appropriate bang.

It was almost too easy, he thought, as he landed atop the main tower in the city.

"Infiltration com-"

"Deidara, we have a problem."

Standing in front of the two men was a brunette youth clad in red with a massive gourd made of sand on his back. And a pair of eyes that seemed to be permanently covered in eyeshadow.

"Oh well, at least this saves us the trouble of having to look for him."

"Bite me, Shuu."

Gaara wasted no time in going on the offensive. Sand was already barreling toward Deidara and his partner. Deidara got back on his bird, fleeing to the sky, as Shuu went straight toward their target.

Gaara had always prepared for multiple assailants. He went for the narrow-eyed man's legs to cut off his mobility. It didn't reach him though, Shuu having gone to the air before the sand could ground him. Seemingly out of nowhere the man drew a long spear and thrust towards Gaara. The sand barely parried the attack in time, the tip of the polearm nearly tickling Gaara's eyes.

"Oi, did you forget the plan, hm!?" Deidara called from above.

"Well, they never said we had to bring him in one piece."

Gaara rode on the sand away from Shuu. He never expected him to be that fast and melee had never been a strong suit of Gaara's. Within seconds he was in the air, floating on a cloud of sand as Shuu was still earthbound. Which turned out to not deter the man in the slightest

He reached within his robes and a flash of white shot out at Gaara. Just like the attack from earlier, it was blisteringly fast. Gaara managed to read the trajectory, though his Armor of Sand was stripped away where the projectiles had grazed him. All that from just a glance, Gaara thought.

And then they came flying back. The telltale whistling they made while flying through the air tipped him off. A moment too late and he might have lost an ear. Shuu smirked, his thin eyes widening to the point where Gaara could see a pair of electric blue eyes. Reaching into his cloak he threw more projectiles, filling the air with metal that flew on its own.

"I think we need liven things up!"

Deidara threw out his creations, small clay birds now buzzing through the air as they aimed for the Jinchuuriki. Gaara sped up sand, having to focus on dodging while intercepting projectiles with his sand. Though he wasn't all about defense.

Deidara was giving silent curses in his head as arms of sand lashed out at him. Shuu had to do the same, barely escaping the grasping hands of the desert. Now they were on the defensive. Perhaps they had taken this boy too lightly.

This boy was becoming quite irritating, Deidara thought. His bombs exploded upon impact with Gaara's sand, being little more than fireworks at a festival. Gaara had the advantage with so much sand around, but there was something off. It was like he had two different speeds going on. The stuff in close proximity was lightning quick and sturdy, but that at long range was a bit sluggish and dispersed quickly. Probably a range problem; users of techniques of that high level always had trouble keeping things consistent at all distances. In fact, the boy probably hadn't had experience with a zoning battle like this.

"Deidara!"

He had been so busy avoiding those arms of sand, Deidara never took into consideration as to why the sky had suddenly darkened. Closing in all around him was a giant sand maw ready to bite down.

"Oh…damn!"

Deidara flew like a bat out of hell as the entrance was being closed. He barely made it, though at the cost of his ride. And a sand tendril gripping around his right arm.

_Desert Coffin!_ Gaara clenched his fist.

Bone and sinew were crushed beneath the sand, so much so that Deidara's limb was beyond pain. Desperate, with one wrench he tore his own arm off and got onto a new bird.

Criminy, he thought, he had been playing around way too much. Shuu was having a tough time just keeping out of the sand's reach while he had wasted a lot of explosives. He was down to enough for one attack and he wasn't sure of what Shuu could do. Still, he had an idea.

Deidara gave a whistle to Shuu who nodded in compliance.

"Let's see how much of a demon this kid really is."

Gaara sat there in his sphere of sand. To be honest, this fight was dragging on longer than he wanted. The amount of chakra needed to manipulate such a huge amount of sand was monstrous and having to not only defend but attack at the same time was taxing on the mind. He needed to finish this quick.

However, he noticed the next bomb his opponent put up was _huge_, thrice the size of him at least. Gaara did not like that smug grin on his face.

"Tamaya!"

Deidara dropped the payload on Sunagakure. That bastard, so that's why he chose to fight in the city despite the obvious tactical disadvantage. Gaara's mind was calculating every sort of scenario in his head. Could he knock it away? No, there was no idea the exact power the explosive had so there was a chance he couldn't keep the city out of its blast radius. Containing it was also risky as the force of it could turn his sand into shrapnel and shred every civilian in the vicinity. He had to minimize the amount of sand in order to defend himself, but also couldn't risk underestimating the explosion. The bomb descended, getting closer and closer as hundreds looked up at the clay figure headed toward them.

It went off, a deafening explosion that could be heard for kilometers filling the air. However, it never reached Sunagakure, an umbrella of sand protecting the city. Gaara's brother, Kankurou, and their old captain Baki looked in awe at what he had done. Gaara allowed himself a sigh of relief. But then he heard a sizzling noise right next to his head.

"Right in firing range." Deidara made his signal.

Despite being at point black range, Gaara's sand shell was especially fast. The small explosion didn't get him directly but still blew the shell to pieces. Though Deidara had meant that as a feint the whole time. Gaara was still conscious, his Armor of Sand mitigating the explosion somewhat. A pillow of sand intercepted him to land on.

"Hello." Oh right, there were two of them.

Gaara was so banged up from Deidara's explosives that Shuu barely had to put any force into the whirling kick he used to send the boy flying over to Deidara. He landed on Deidara's clay owl, being wrapped in its tail feathers.

Mission accomplished. Shuu leapt from one midair weapon to another, like stepping stones in a river.

"Haha, coulda gone better, but a finish is a finish, hm."

"We shouldn't keep Master Sasori waiting." Shuu landed on the bird, replacing his weapons back into his cloak. "And we need to have your injuries examined."

"Still not the _worst_ injury I've ever had."

They flew off, leaving the entirety of the village in shock as they hauled away their Kazekage like luggage.


	4. Scroll 3

Scroll Three: I'm Pulling Your Strings

Sasori was bored. Deidara and Shuu had been gone longer than he expected. Judging by the humongous racket that was going on in Sunagakure, the target had not gone quietly. Of course had Deidara prepared properly instead of running in then things wouldn't have escalated. He really needed to drill the concept of discipline into that boy's head.

Three of the Beasts now, just about enough to get rid of the first seal. Still, why was Pain so sure about this? Sasori had tried to find information on his own and nothing ever came up.

From above the shadow of Deidara's owl loomed, the artificial bird descending onto the sand. Wrapped in its tail feathers was their target.

"You're late." Sasori grumbled.

"Sorry, this one was a little tougher than I thought, hm."

"Well, well, it seems like we have company."

Shuu pointed towards the canyon, bringing attention to a youth wearing black from head to toe and his face painted with peculiar designs. A scowl of fury was directed at Shuu, Deidara, and Sasori.

The young man unfurled the scrolls he had on his back and within a split second there were three, huge puppets readied for an attack, guided by chakra strings.

"O ho ho, Master Sasori, it seems we have a rival for you?" Shuu smirked.

"Hmmm, you two go on ahead, I would hate to be the only one not having contributed in any way."

Sasori couldn't help but remember those old creations of his. Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshouuo, they were all ones he made many years ago. This boy, Kankurou, if he remembered his name correctly, certainly had kept them in very good condition. Now to see if the puppeteer in him was up to snuff.

Karasu came first, definitely moving with a grace one would not expect with a puppet. He was fast, probably even quicker than an elite ninja. To think it was just a puppet being manipulated by strings of chakra. Though to Sasori it was little more than a bunch of scrap.

He didn't move, deftly intercepting Karasu with a single stroke. The puppet was now prone, coiled in the long, bladed tail coming from beneath Sasori's robes. He grinned beneath the bandanna that covered his mouth.

"I'll make this quick."

X

After seeing Tsunade, Naruto went around the village. He ran into a few of his old buddies, Shikamaru revealing he was doing something for the Chuunin exams. Temari was there with him, Sakura almost rubbing it in that she was a Jounin like Lee and Neji. Seriously, it was like she was trying to depress him. He would have stayed out longer, but Sakura unfortunately had some things to attend to and Naruto was weary from his trip. He'd gotten the keys to his apartment back from Kakashi and decided to sleep in a normal bed for the first time in ages.

It was weird for Naruto to be back home after so long. He'd spent so much time sleeping in inns ranging from luxury to hole-in-the-wall, beneath the stars, and even in dank caves he'd almost forgotten what a normal one felt like. Iruka-sensei and Tsunade had taken care of his place while he was gone, everything being a lot cleaner than when he had left it.

He had fallen asleep as soon as he hit his old bed, more worn out from his travels than he realized. He woke up around noon, drowsy and his hair a mess as he heard frantic banging on the front door.

"Alright, alright, keep your damn pants on." He grumbled, rubbing grogginess out of his eyes.

As soon as he unlocked the door he was grabbed by the wrist and yanked through the streets of Konoha.

"Gah, what the hell!?" Man, this was better than coffee for waking up. "Sakura-chan?"

"Big problem! Master said to get your butt to the office ASAP."

"Couldn't she have waited until I was properly dressed?" Thank the gods he didn't wear his penguin pajamas last night.

"That's the least of your worries, Sunagakure just got attacked!"

"What?"

"Akatsuki. Gaara is in trouble."

Despite looking like a mess, not even having done his hair properly or wearing shoes, Naruto went straight to Tsunade's office. Kakashi-sensei was already there as well with Temari sitting on a nearby sofa, her head hanging. There was no good news to tell, if their expressions were any indication. Naruto swallowed hard and finally asked.

"How bad is it?"

"We got the wire from Suna about thirty minutes ago. Three Akatsuki members managed to infiltrate the village. Gaara took on two of them but was beaten and captured."

Gaara? The kid who became a Kage at fourteen? Naruto had personally witnessed the guy's power, heck he _fought_ him, and he fought the Tailed Beast inside him trying to tear out of him. How in the world could he be taken out like that? This was some kind of sick joke.

"You can't be serious."

"Dead serious. Even if you only met them for a moment, you should have gotten a glimpse of how strong the Akatsuki are. It took two of them, but they beat him and captured him. His brother, Kankurou, is also in critical condition. Poisoned by a third member."

"Freaking…"

Temari was shaking, both with anxiety and rage. She was gritting her teeth, trying her best not to lose herself. Naruto, having no family of his own, could only imagine the fear and anger swelling inside her right now. But even if he didn't, he did have something in common with Gaara.

"Granny, yer givin' me this mission come hell or high water."

"Heh, don't worry, I wasn't planning on leaving you out of it." She ripped off an official form from her desk and handed it to Kakashi. "You're to rendezvous at Sunagakure for information and recon. After that, back up the Suna. The Kazekage's retrieval is top priority."

"I'm going too." Temari spoke up. She looked about ready to bolt out the door herself. Tsunade thought for a bit.

"Normally a family member wouldn't be allowed on a mission like this due to emotional compromise. However, you being the most experienced Sand ninja in the immediate area is quite a boon." Naruto could practically see her wink. "You're to guide them to Sunagakure and assist them if need be. However, keep in mind that Kakashi will be calling the shots."

"Yes, ma'am."

They were ready to leave within the hour. According to Kakashi it'd take around three days to get to the Land of Wind if they took the bare minimum with breaks. If they _really_ felt like killing themselves they could probably halve the travel time, but they needed to pace themselves. The Akatsuki weren't going to make things easy once they met. Well, maybe for Kakashi and Sakura. Naruto felt like he could make the trip in ten minutes if he knew where he was going. When he met Sasuke's brother and that shark-looking guy three years ago he felt nothing but fear and confusion. Now he was running on anger. Once he got his hands around their necks he wouldn't hesitate to squeeze.

"Well, looks I'm late to the party for once." Jiraiya arrived on one of his toads.

"So you know already." Tsunade sighed.

"Yeah, hard to believe the Akatsuki made that big of a scene. If they're that willing to be out in the open then things could get bad quick." He glanced at Naruto. About fifty gigabytes of information was exchanged between the two of them.

"Old man, I ain't gonna go nuts, so don't worry."

"You've said that before. I've only seen one other person that would blow up worse than you and she's lucky she didn't die before she was old enough to drink. There's nothing wrong about getting pissed or hot-headed, but don't let it cloud your mind. And remember, don't use _that_ jutsu."

"Alright."

The team bid farewell to Tsunade and Jiraiya, scurrying down the path at breakneck speed towards Suna. Akatsuki already, Naruto thought. He could put aside anything pertaining to himself at the moment. Right now, he needed to get Gaara back.

X

Sasori had probably enjoyed that more than he should have. It had been so long since he had met a fellow puppet user that he couldn't resist taking his time for once. Though the boy had been a mere amateur compared to him, it was amusing to see someone using the puppets Sasori himself had designed. He was so impressed he couldn't bring himself to finish the kid off. He wondered if that boy would have grown up into something truly inspirational. A pity he had to use his special venom on the kid. Poor brat wouldn't last more than a few days with that running through his system.

After his little scuffle he hurried to where Deidara and Shuu were waiting. Shuu was examining Deidara's crushed arm.

"Hmm, it might be salvageable. Next time you see Kakuzu you should have him take a look at it."

"Wish I was just as customizable as he is, hm."

"If you want, I can make a puppet arm for you, Deidara. I could make an improvement or two."

"I think I'll pass, Master Sasori, hm. Who wants to last forever, anyway, hm?"

"Suit yourself."

They hurried on, their prize in tow and their goals one step closer.


	5. Scroll 4

Scroll Four: The Gathering

Naruto hadn't run this much since the mission with Sasuke. As soon as they were out of the gates of Konoha they'd gone full-bore. They were subjected to hours upon hours of going through the passes and roads until they got to the border. When the roads were no longer going to let them go in a straight line they went through the wilderness. It wasn't nearly as bad as some of the trips that the old man had subjected him to, but even if it was he was on a mission. He could walk through Hell right now and it wouldn't matter.

Nightfall came, alleviating the party from the sun for a bit. They had to get back on the road, but Kakashi ordered a break for the moment. The last thing he needed was all of them collapsing.

"We'll be back on the road in an hour." He said, opening his pack. "Rest your legs for a bit and maybe get a bite to eat."

"If I didn't have to guide you I'd still be hauling it." Temari grumbled, tearing a hunk off of a piece of chicken jerky she had.

"And you'd probably wear yourself out doing so. Pace yourself, Temari. Tsunade-sama assured me she'll be sending us backup as soon as she can gather a proper team."

"Not nearly fast enough."

Temari looked like she had aged a few years in a couple hours. She looked gaunt and worn, her eyes dull. But more than that she looked angry. Naruto could see the fire behind her eyes that she did everything she could to keep it back.

Naruto remembered the way Gaara had looked during the Chuunin exams and the invasion of Konoha. He was always angry, bitter, and hollow. Treated like a monster, a freak ever since he was born. Naruto could understand that. He could understand that soul-crushing isolation.

And how much had Temari gone through with that? Her own little brother, unable to be close to anyone for most of his childhood, struggling to connect to even his siblings, how much did that hurt her? And now he was being taken away by a bunch of psychos she didn't even know existed until now. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Naruto?"

"Temari, I can't say I understand fully what you're going through. But I already failed one retrieval mission and I sure as hell ain't gonna fail another."

"Naruto, I don't need that kind of crap right now. Of course no one wants to fail a mission."

"It's more than that. Gaara and I, we're alike."

"Oh?" Sakura chimed in. "How so? I've asked Master a couple of times before about why Akatsuki is so intent on finding you but she never answered."

Typical of adults, Naruto thought. There was no point in hiding it any longer. Sooner or later everyone would know, so it was better to just let the cat out of the bag.

Naruto lifted up his shirt, revealing his midriff to the two girls.

"Hey, what the hell!?" Sakura was red-faced.

"Wait a second."

He concentrated his chakra, revealing the markings on his abdomen. Temari's eyes widened while Sakura just looked confused.

"Sakura-chan, have you ever wondered what happened to the Nine-tailed Fox?"

"I…oh god, are you really saying…?"

"Yeah, and Gaara's got something very similar inside him. _This_ is what the Akatsuki is after."

The Akatsuki, even after three years with the old man Naruto still didn't understand what they were. Why did they want the Tailed Beasts? Then again, the old man probably was in the dark too.

Admittedly, at first, the only reason Naruto had been interested in the Akatsuki was due to Sasuke's brother. That day at the hotel, those burning red eyes that were boring a hole straight into his soul and that shark freak with the giant sword still stood in utter clarity. Naruto had met a lot of bad men, a lot of evil men, but those two were by far the worst.

The only thing he knew was that Itachi was Sasuke's brother, and the culprit of the worst mass murder in the history of Konoha. He was the entire reason Sasuke sought out vengeance, sought out power from Orochimaru. And that day at the hotel could make Naruto understand that. He saw nothing human behind Itachi's eyes. He didn't sense the slightest bit of emotion unlike with everyone else he had met. It was like peering into nothingness, like a void ready to swallow him whole.

No, as much as Naruto wanted to find Sasuke again, he knew just from remembering that one meeting that there was something bigger. Sasuke was just a small fraction of whatever was going on and the utter dismissal Itachi showed had proven that. And now Gaara, a Kage, being captured and dragged off like a trophy. If they were merely objects for the Akatsuki to acquire, what did that say of their goals?

"You…poor, poor child."

Temari's face softened, something Naruto never remembered her doing even at her kindest. She reached for the seal on him, though not touching. He could see tears welling in her eyes.

"I remember the day Gaara came into this world was the day they sealed that _thing_ into him. I don't know if that's the reason why, but that was also the last day I would ever see my mother. And she asked one thing of me."

"What was that?"

"She said 'protect your little brother.' He was a tiny thing, a little over half the size of a normal baby. So very…small…"

Temari broke down, falling to her knees as she wept openly. She was trembling, unable to control her sobbing.

"I'm…I'm supposed to be the eldest. Big sisters…they're meant to protect their little brothers, right?"

"Hey, hey, come here."

Sakura held Temari close, comforting the young woman until she settled down. It was something she needed, something anyone in her circumstances would need. After awhile she cleaned her face off, though she was still puffy-eyed. Kakashi threw his pack back on.

"Temari, we're not planning on letting you worry anymore, you hear?"

"Yeah." She looked to Naruto and grinned. "Y'know, I think it'd be nice if you and Gaara became good friends."

Naruto turned a bit red in the face.

They resumed their journey towards the desert, perhaps at an even swifter pace than before.

X

Deidara, Sasori, and Shuu had finally arrived at the rendezvous point. This had been one gigantic hassle right from the outset. Days of sneaking into the country, getting in a huge battle, and then days of sneaking out were a bit much for Deidara. After this he needed to unwind, maybe test out some new explosives he had been experimenting on lately. At the very least he needed to do it after this little ritual they had to do.

Three days, it was gonna take three goddamned days to extract the Beast from this stupid kid they had captured. And that was when they had all ten rings in order to enact the ritual. Deidara had been bored out of his mind the last two times they had done this. The only reason he hadn't dropped the whole thing right in the middle was because of what Pain would have done if he quit.

The trees were a welcome sight after days of the bleak, scorching desert. It was still hot as hell, but at least there was some shade to keep the sun away. Deidara couldn't wait to get into the shade and away from all this, even if it would be three days of mind-numbing boredom.

"Oi, Shuu, how much further to the rendezvous, hm?"

"About ten kilometers, give or take. It's not a hard spot to miss."

"Yeah, I know, Itachi wouldn't shut up about how it was an old shrine or some crap like that, hm. This little bastard is turning out to be more trouble than he was worth."

"Well, in three days he won't be a bother anymore, now will he?"

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Deidara had never been so relieved to see a crappy old cave in his life. Again, he wasn't looking forward to the ritual, but at least he could give his legs a rest and it was nice and cool underground.

"It's your turn this time, Shuu."

"Don't worry, Master Sasori, there won't be a single soul who will get past me."

Deidara dumped Gaara unceremoniously onto the damp, cold floor. A pair of eyes bored into him and then glanced at the young boy. A dozen other shadows appeared around the walls. They were all in attendance now, even those who weren't needed for the ritual.

"You're late." Pain growled as he made a few gestures.

The ground rumbled and shook. The very air seemed to crackle with some unknown force, surrounding everyone in its splendor. From the ground came a statue, monolithic in size. Deidara was able to stand on one of its fingers with room to spare. He forgot what Pain called it, but it was the chosen vessel for the Beasts they were tracking down.

Once again Pain made some symbols with his hands. It was a complex technique, requiring Pain to use hand seals in the double digits and then need everyone to concentrate. They were going to tear Shuukaku right out of its host.

Gaara was surrounded in a pale light that poured from the statue's mouth. And from his body seeped the very essence of the Tailed Beast.

Shuu, watching from the cave entrance, couldn't help but be in awe of it. He had been in one of the rituals before and witnessed the other before that. It was simply fascinating to watch no matter how many times he had seen it before. Chakra so thick it could be seen with the naked eye. Or, in the case of the Beast, would it be more accurate to say it was the soul? It was truly amazing at how Pain was capable of such a feat. Shuu, for one, was glad they were on the same side. He really did want to see the end of Pain's plan. He wanted to see what one could do if all nine Beasts were brought together.

Shuu stepped out to start setting up countermeasures. They had heard about Konoha sending out a team for the Jinchuuriki. And luckily for them, it was the Nine-Tails boy. Maybe they could get a two-for-one deal. To be honest, Shuu was hoping they'd get this far. After all, it had been a long time since he had been able to truly display the reason he earned a title most infamous in the Wind Country.

"I do believe it is time for the War Prince to give his blades fresh blood."

He had three days. And that was going to be a more than enough time to sharpen his blades and prepare a proper arena.


	6. Scroll 5

Scroll Five: The Old and the Young

They finally reached Sunagakure after three days of near-nonstop running. Never had Naruto come to despise heat as he did now. He felt like a piece of jerky, dried out from the blistering sun, the scathing wind, and the unrelenting heat. He would kill for a rainstorm right now, if just to make him feel like he wasn't mummified anymore.

They were in the infirmary at Sunagakure where Kankurou was. Apparently he'd shot full of some nasty venom from the Akatsuki. According to the doctors he'd barely been hanging in there, only kept alive due to the best medicines they had. But still, it wasn't enough to annihilate the poison. That was, until Sakura took a shot at it.

She was examining him, her hands hovering over him as she looked for the best way to treat him. She was the apprentice of Tsunade, the best doctor the world over. Eventually she stopped above his abdomen. Her fingers glowed, most likely chakra scalpels. She made a couple of incisions, very shallow, but enough to draw blood.

Then she started extracting something from Kankurou. Instead of merely countering the poison she drew it straight out, directly removing it from Kankurou's body. Within a few minutes she had discarded the glob of sickly venom into a nearby bowl.

"There, his life isn't in danger, but I think I should make an antidote for whatever's left in him and some for us when we run into the guy who did this. Where's the pharmacy?"

"I can direct you right to the greenhouse." Said a nearby nurse. "The physician who was watching over Kankurou-san is already there so she can help you."

"Great."

"I'll come along too." Naruto chimed.

"I don't need your clumsiness, Naruto. We're talking about delicate medicines here."

"No, I think he _should_ meet Chiyo-baasama." Baki commented. "After all, she has a special history with all this."

"O…kay?"

"You two get going, I have a few things to take care of and I think Naruto would be better off assisting you instead of just laying around." Kakashi said.

Despite the utter confusion at what that was about, the two Konoha ninja followed the nurse out of the hospital and into the city.

Naruto had heard about the fight from Tsunade and Kakashi, but witnessing the aftermath was another thing entirely. Entire buildings had been wrecked via collateral damage and there was an excess of sand everywhere. This was the level they fought at, and now Naruto and Sakura were expected to match that at the least?

Again, that day at the hotel came back to him. Itachi throwing Sasuke aside like he was nothing and that shark-looking freak with the giant sword were clear in his mind. Just from those few minutes he knew those two were on a completely different level. Naruto knew he had grown stronger during his training, but he never had the chance to properly test it. Would it be enough?

"Here it is, Chiyo-baasama's private conservatory."

The heat outside was bothersome, but in the greenhouse it was sweltering. It was all for keeping the plants nourished, but the second Naruto stepped through the doorway he was assaulted by humidity so thick he thought he was walking through water. This wasn't a greenhouse, it was a damn rainforest!

"Hurry up and close that door, you'll dry everything out!" Said a hoarse, textured voice coming from behind the rows and rows of plants.

Amidst the various flowers, herbs, and other bizarre plants Naruto had never seen before was a tiny old woman, probably a head or two shorter than Naruto was. She looked positively ancient. Naruto wondered if the reason she asked for them to close the door was because of a stiff breeze threatening to blow her over.

She was busy with a mortar and pestle, mixing some kind of concoction. The pungent stench of all of these was almost overpowering, sending Naruto's sense of smell into overdrive. He felt like he was going to nauseous if he wasn't careful.

"Are you Chiyo-baasama?" Sakura asked. "I'm Haruno Sakura, and this is my teammate Naruto."

"Pleased to meet'cha."

"Yes, yes, that's all well and good, but I have a boy to keep alive and unless you've been sent to deliver the necessary reagents I asked for you're in the way."

"If you're talking about Kankurou-san, then there's no worry. I already drew the poison out."

The old woman nearly dropped the pestle she had been using. A weathered face that was made of wrinkles and a pair of beady eyes looked at Sakura in disbelief.

"I busted my hump for three days keeping that boy merely on the brink." She was impressed, if a bit offended. "If this is some kinda sick joke, it ain't funny."

"I have the evidence." Sakura withdrew a vial containing the venom she had extracted straight out of Kankurou. The old woman took it and poured a bit of it into a petri dish. After examining it for a minute the old woman responded with a bit of a smirk.

"Well I'll be, ya learn something new every day."

"Thank you very much." Sakura bowed. "My teacher taught me well."

"Well, if ya wouldn't mind, it'd be nice to have assistance. All this is tiring on an old woman's hands. And you, blondie."

"Yeah?"

"Everything's labeled properly, so be prepared to be a worker bee for a bit."

"….Sometimes I hate you, Sakura-chan." His pink-haired teammate shrugged.

XXXXX

"That's everything so far." Kakashi talked to Tsunade over the secure line in Sunagakure's ANBU base.

"_Sasori of the Red Sand…this could definitely be a problem. What about the other two?"_

"According to Suna, the two men who did the actual fighting against Gaara are one Deidara, formerly of Iwagakure's Explosion Corps, and Shuu, formerly a mercenary born in the Land of Iron. The former was a bomber for hire after leaving Iwagakure up until a few years ago when he started being sighted exclusively with Akatsuki. As for Shuu, the guy has a reputation as a top grade mercenary and bounty hunter, but also had a bad habit of being excessive with force. He brought in a lot of bounties horribly mutilated or killed important targets without proper consent."

"_So a couple of psychos. Having guys like Itachi and Kisame are bad enough, but now they're recruiting straight up murderers?"_

"Their more extreme cases are straight out of a horror movie. The one that got Shuu listed in the Bingo Book involved him being found at the home of a local gang. They were all slaughtered. When asked why he did it he said 'they had some very interesting knives'."

"_No mercy whatsoever. Well, your backup is getting prepped right now so we'll send them towards where the Akatsuki were last sighted."_

"I'll send Pakkun to meet Guy and his kids halfway. I got Sasori's scent so it shouldn't be hard."

"_Alright, I'll inform them. Get moving, but be careful."_

Kakashi didn't waste any time. While Sakura and Naruto were still prepping, he summoned his hounds.

"Heh, now this is a right mess you've gotten us into." Bull, the largest of the dogs, scoffed.

"Save it, this is a life or death situation." Kakashi took out the scrap of cloth Kankurou had managed to get from Sasori. "I need you guys on your best. The guy who wore this was three days out."

"Man, that's really cutting it." Pakkun sniffed the scrap, blanching at some scent discernible only to him. "Gah! I take it back, if he had something that smelled that corrosive then there's no way in hell I could lose track of him."

"You're going to be seeking out Guy. He's already headed here with his team so I want you to meet him halfway and meet us at the destination. We'll save a lot of time with that."

"Eh, I gotta deal with that loudmouth?"

"A loudmouth who can kick ass up and down the block all day. Neji, Tenten, and Lee aren't slouches either, I can tell ya that. Look, just find him and then rendezvous with us. Every second counts."

Pakkun, reluctant as he was, complied and zipped across the desert with lightning speed. Hopefully Naruto and Sakura were hurrying. Even with such a distinct scent they couldn't rule out mishaps or roadblocks. Kakashi still remembered Itachi's Mangekyou and the hell he went through. He couldn't let that happen again. Not one to let his students upstage him, Kakashi had been doing his own training over the past three years. And he too had learned a few new tricks in order to compete.

XXXXX

"Lilac."

"Gotcha."

"Monk's hood."

"Here."

"Nightshade."

"Sakura-chan, that's poisonous."

"Hey, potatoes are part of the nightshade family and we eat those constantly."

"Yeah, but not the flowers of them."

Chiyo was astonished at not only the Sakura girl being very learned in the preparation of medicine and poisons, but the boy for actually being quite the horticulturist. He didn't know what any of them did, but he had no troubles identifying anything on the medicine cabinets or the potted plants that were for reagents she hadn't restocked yet. His clones helped greatly as well.

Students of two of the Sannin, what a day. That boy, there was something else about him though…

The door to the conservatory flew open, a lanky, white-haired man entering. At first Chiyo thought she saw a ghost. Was that…was that the White Fang of Konoha? He even had the same lazy eye, though other one being covered by his forehead protector.

"Naruto, Sakura, how are things going?"

"I managed to make a few antidotes for the poison. Still, pray you don't have to use it."

"Yes, my grandson probably has a few others in his arsenal. I never thought being named after the scorpion would turn out to be so prophetic."

Those children coming back to haunt her, it weighed heavy on her old, worn shoulders. Sasori, her own grandson, capturing the Kazekage who was holding the Beast she helped put in him. She didn't which of her actions was worse; her neglect allowing her own flesh and blood to descend into such behavior or her refusal to go against the former leader of her village that allowed the current one to become a target.

These kids were going to go up against Sasori of the Red Sand, arguably the greatest puppet master who ever lived? She heard about his exploits over the years since he abandoned the village and none of them were pretty. She heard about all the others who came to him, thinking they could make a name for themselves or seeking justice. They all ended up dead, another body to add to the pile. Would these two just be added to it?

Kakashi examined the doses Sakura had made. She had three, not nearly enough for everyone as she needed to inoculate Kankurou. Hopefully they wouldn't need it though. She was just getting done with the final dose, the last she could make with the poison sample she had. If she weren't in such a hurry they could probably make more, but time was a luxury they didn't have.

"Alright, we move immediately." Kakashi took a dose and put it into his pack. "Pakkun is going to meet with Guy's team and they'll meet us at where Sasori's scent is."

"Heh, I was wondering when I'd see those guys again." Naruto grinned. If things weren't so serious he'd probably be asking for a rematch with Neji or Lee.

"Wait a minute."

They stopped just shy of the door when Chiyo spoke up. Getting off the stool she had been using she went over to a thick, leather bag and hefted it.

"How's about you give me five minutes? I've been meaning to give my little boy a good old spanking for awhile."

"Y'know, I would joke about age here, but three years with the old man taught me that all that does is make people a lot smarter. And nastier." Naruto shuddered at remembering all the times Jiraiya had showed him how he had earned his title. It had taught him to respect his elders a little more.

"Chiyo-baasan…" Kakashi mumbled, mentally weighing whether or not to honor her request. "Alright, you're on the team. Meet us at the front gates in five minutes. Though you'll probably only need two."

Chiyo had made many mistakes in her life. She wasn't about to add another one.

XXXXX

"Alright, you're to back up Kakashi and his team. Take initiative when you can, but be careful. I know three of you are Jounin, but you're dealing with S-class criminals here."

"Understood, Tsunade-sama."

Neji adjusted his pack, making sure he brought everything he needed. Tenten was packed to the gills, having numerous scrolls at ready and kunai strapped to her legs. She probably even had a few hidden. Lee had already removed his weights, knowing that his philosophy of holding back wasn't going to work here. If he wasn't at full tilt from the start, things could go bad.

Akatsuki, Neji had heard about them quite a bit over the past few months. He was lucky never to have encountered them, but the stories he heard were enough to concern him. Guy-sensei couldn't help but brag about meeting them, but Neji doubted he would look willingly for them.

"Alright kids, let's get moving! Whaddya say we try to make it to the Sand in a day?"

"I say we make it in half a day! We have a lot of time to make up for."

Neji groaned. It would take three days to reach the Sand, maybe shaving off half a day if they went full-bore with it. Still, at least Guy-sensei and Lee were enthusiastic.

They set out with utmost haste. However, they wouldn't notice on the way that someone was watching them. From a tree peered a man with half his body black and the other half white.

Zetsu looked at the three. However, his gaze was most intent on Neji.

"Byakugan…"


	7. Scroll 6

Scroll Six: Feeding Frenzy

"We have new additions."

It had been almost three days since the ritual started with the extraction. Despite the power of those at work, the ritual was tedious. It just went to show the astronomical power of the Beasts. Despite that, Zetsu had been using a linked clone to watch the perimeter. He always had the greatest range when it came to recon.

"How many?" Pain asked, concentrating on the ritual.

"Four of them coming from Konoha, though three of them are students. The others are approaching from Sunagakure, the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki is among them. The one in charge of the first group appears to be named Guy."

"Ah yes." Itachi said. "He's one of the greatest taijutsu experts you'll ever see. Best if you delay him at least."

"Anything else of note, Zetsu?"

"Yes, one of Guy's students is a Hyuuga."

"Hyuuga…" Pain said to himself.

"Pain-san, can I partake?" Shuu had been in the cave for awhile, having gotten tired of the blistering sun.

"No Shuu, you're to stand guard at all times. Your stamina needs to be conserved."

"Can I take a whack at it?" One of others asked, his voice irritated. "Kakuzu, Kin-ki, and I have been havin' trouble findin' our Jinchuuriki. I've been outta action for too long."

"Stand down, Hidan, I've got business with him." Kisame retorted. "Pain-san, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to take care of him. I still need to pay back that odd beast for that kick at Konoha."

"Alright, I'll allow it since your chakra allows a bit of leeway. Still, I'll need to keep some behind. And if you can…"

"What?"

"The Hyuuga, try to not kill them."

"Heh, this won't take long."

"As for you, Itachi, I'll allow you to meet with the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki."

"As you wish, sir."

XXXXX

It had been a day since they had set out from the village. Guy, despite knowing the dire situation, couldn't help but feel competitive. Kakashi's team had finally been reassembled (sans one) and their first mission back was with Guy's. He wanted to make a wager when he finally got around to seeing Kakashi. It had to be something big though considering the circumstances, not just another set of running laps or doing pushups. No, he had to make it something memorable.

About an hour ago they had met with one of Kakashi's hounds who gave them an update. They would meet on the road, not at Sunagakure as planned.

All the better, Neji thought. Since his last mission with Naruto he had wanted to ask the boy a few things. He still couldn't shake off the unease he had from three years ago back during the Chuunin exams. He had asked his uncle and grandfather, but he always got the same answer: "It's not our place." Naruto being assigned a mission like this right after returning to Konoha had only piqued his suspicions further.

"Neji, are you alright?" asked Tenten. "Don't zone out on us, you're the rear guard."

"Sorry, I'm just a little worn is all."

"Hah, this is why you never could beat me in stamina!" Lee couldn't resist taking a chance to brag.

"Not physically, it's just that something has been bothering me."

"Keep focused Neji, we can't be distracted." Guy-sensei said. "Whatever troubles you have, you'll to put them aside for now."

If only you know the troubles involved someone we're working with, thought Neji.

They kept going for awhile, following Pakkun who had the scent of Sasori on his nose. However, the dog sniffed the air and noticed a strange scent. It was pungent and sickening, like that of a bloodbath. His blood turned to ice as he recognized that stench.

"We have company!"

"Neji!" Guy-sensei immediately stopped and went into a stance.

Neji activated his Byakugan and quickly searched the area in every direction possible. Of course, the point of attack was the obvious one.

"Behind!"

The ground tore open as something raced towards them with earnest purpose. The earth split as something wrapped in bandages carved through the ground like a mock shark fin. Neji and Tenten barely avoided it, leaping out of the way as it went past them.

Eventually a figure emerged from the ground. Neji, looking through his Byakugan, saw not only a monster of a man wielding a sword as big as he was, but a giant set of chakra coils that looked like they were about to boil over. They were supposed to fight _this_?

"You look familiar…" Neji could tell Guy-sensei was struggling to remember him. Neji had long since seen the man in the Bingo Book as Hoshigaki Kisame.

"Heh, I see brains and brawn are a little too much to ask for in you."

"HIYAH!"

Whether it was from stupidity or just wanting to set the pace, Lee was the first to attack. From Kisame's blind spot he came, sending the man a kick that could pound bone into powder and bend steel. Kisame merely deflected it with his sword. He didn't retaliate though, choosing instead to retreat and prepare a jutsu.

_Suiton, Bakushouha!_

From Kisame's mouth came a deluge and within mere seconds the ground they had previously been standing on was now submerged under meters of water. Before they even had time to properly stand on the water via chakra, Kisame came riding on a giant swell towards them like the world's deadliest surfer.

They scattered again to avoid the force of the wave hitting them. Kisame, ever-vindictive, went for Guy. His Samehada cut through the air, though Lee showed he was just as tenacious.

"WATA!"

Lee had equipped the nunchaku he brought and struck Kisame along the arm. The Samehada spun in the air, far away from Kisame.

"Dammit!" Kisame cursed under his breath. He let his ego get the better of him.

_Hakke: Kuushou!_

Kisame literally couldn't see Neji's attack coming at him. Despite ten meters separating the two of them, Neji struck him with a fist that moved through the air itself. Kisame tumbled through the air, though at least towards Samehada. However, he then heard a hissing just as he touched Samehada's hilt. And he was positive Deidara wasn't in a ten-kilometer radius of him.

Tenten's explosive went off, showering the area with shrapnel and blades. Still, the lack of blood confirmed that she had missed. Not wasting time, she summoned a new implement in the form of a repeating crossbow.

"Pesky brats." The Akatsuki surfaced, his eyes piercing into the four Leaf Nin.

"I still can't quite place you." Neji was starting to believe that Guy-sensei's selective memory was a more useful weapon than anything else they had.

"Tch, I'm really going to have to go all out to jog your memory, aren't I?"

XXXXX

Itachi waited. He knew they were coming this way, the only proper path through the waterways for kilometers around. He sat there with bated breath. For the first time in years he was finally moving again, able to indulge himself a bit. Being on Pain's leash for so long had irritated him. He wasn't going to go for the big techniques just yet. He was going to savor it a bit.

The sound of leaves and branches rattling reached his ears. Just like he predicted, they were approaching the road. They were even coming from the exact direction he had anticipated.

They came quickly. First Kakashi, then Naruto, Sasuke's little sakura-headed teammate, and…odd, Itachi hadn't expected an addition. He had never seen the woman, but he had heard about her before from Sasori. Chiyo, a truly incorrigible woman. This complicated matters. Though not much, at least for Itachi

"Halt!"

Kakashi was wise, not rushing his team headlong at Itachi. Naruto's eyes were like a pair of blue flames, burning with rage at Itachi. The pink-haired girl, however, was clearly trembling. He would take her lightly most of the time, but her teacher was Tsunade.

"Itachi…" Kakashi was already readying his eye.

"Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun, it's been too long." He flexed his fingers, his knuckles cracking

"Don't look at his eyes! You take one glance at them, his genjutsu will get you and there's no getting out of it. If you need to read him, just look at his body and feet."

A sound strategy, Itachi thought. Only a fool would look a Sharingan user in the face. And for Kakashi to understand the Tsukuyomi after one use, he truly was worthy of his reputation. But were it that simple, Itachi would have been dead long before he made the ANBU squad.

"Naruto-kun," he began "if you'd like, the offer from before still stands. After all, if you want to see Sasuke again, I'm the best way to meet him."

Itachi's provocation was the appropriate decision, though Kakashi still found a way to throw a wrench into things. He charged ahead faster than his student, though the Itachi he met wasn't the real one. Itachi made a beeline for Naruto while Kakashi was busy with the clone.

"HAAAAAA!"

The girl struck the ground with her bare fist. Taijutsu was so troublesome for the Sharingan. Still, the flash of chakra provided him with what the girl had been learning the past three years. The ground cracked and shook, splitting open. And to think all she did was punch the earth.

_Rasengan!_

Naruto's control had improved a lot since then. He came at Itachi with the famed spiral attack of the Fourth. It was so beautiful to see in person, Itachi only barely dodged it. The backlash was so great that a huge sphere was eaten right in the ground.

Should he use it? Pain had ordered him against the Mangekyou, but due to Pain requiring it, Itachi was unsure of what he could do to punish him. Besides, he was having a bit of fun now. He needed to see a little more.

"What's wrong, Itachi, why aren't you ending this quicker?" Blast, Kakashi dealt with that clone faster than he anticipated. "Tell me, has your eyesight started to go?"

Did he just say…? No, that was impossible, there was no way Kakashi had the Mangekyou. He couldn't know about its side effects. Itachi was the only one in generations to have acquired it. Was he bluffing?

Itachi wasn't going to let it get the better of him though. Not until he saw _him_ again.

XXXXX

"Graaah!"

Four on one and still Neji couldn't help but feel they were at a disadvantage. A mere swing of Kisame's sword was pelting him with bullets of water that cut his skin, marring his pale, delicate features. Even Guy-sensei and Lee were being batted around like ragdolls and Tenten's projectiles were swatted aside just from the breeze kicked up from the sword blows. They couldn't waste time. The more this fight dragged on the more worn out they'd be and they didn't have a thing on this man's stamina.

"Tenten, Lee!"

Neji made a quick gesture with his hand, signaling to his teammates. They nodded and went to action immediately. Tenten and Lee went around Kisame's sides as Guy-sensei kept pressuring him. Neji, meanwhile, ceased trying to keep afloat and just sunk to the bottom. It was a gamble considering how their opponent was a master of Suiton, but it wasn't as risky as Lee or Guy-sensei using the Lotus technique.

Neji readied himself. He felt bad using his teammates as a distraction, but they all needed to put their lives on the line. He calmed his nerves and concentrated everything on this one move. He still hadn't mastered it.

_Hakkeshou: Urakaiten Mou-uzu!_

Neji spun like a top, his Kaiten sucking in all the water in the surrounding vicinity and creating a vacuum. That was the signal for everyone to get away. The last time this was used, Neji accidentally caused enough collateral damage to have the fee for a mission halved. All that Kisame could do was look in bewilderment as he saw Neji concentrating liters of water into his hands.

_Hakke: Kawashou!_

A concentrated stream of water fired from Neji's hands. Worse than a fire hose, it did not pulverize or push, it _cut_. Kisame was sent flying by the sheer force of the blast, his body wrecked with the move.

With the creator beaten, the water that had come from him dissipated. Neji fell to his knees, the strain of the fight and having to pull off a complicated maneuver like that putting a drain on his reserves.

"Very good, Neji, we owe you." Guy-sensei gave his student a hearty pat on the back.

"Gah! Easy, I still haven't gotten used to this. Plus it was still sloppy. If I'd been better I would have sliced him in two without him budging."

"Oh woe is you, mister genius." Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Sensei!" Lee called to them, looking at the body. "You really need to take a look at this!"

The three of them went to the crater that Kisame's body had made on impact from the force of Neji's blow. However, the body in the ground wasn't Kisame. He had the man's build, but not his distinct complexion or sharp teeth. He was even lacking the Kirigakure emblem.

"What the hell…?"

XXXXX

Naruto knew he needed to keep cool, but that was easier said than done. Itachi was in front of him. Itachi, the entire reason behind Sasuke leaving. And now he was implicit in Gaara's kidnapping. Naruto's blood was boiling. He could feel his very chakra seer like acid inside him. He couldn't take it anymore. He thought he was going to feel fear when he saw Itachi, but not at all. All he had in him now was pure, unrelenting rage. He was gonna break every bone in this bastard's body!

_Kage Bunshin!_

He went to corner Itachi, preventing a retreat from any direction. Above, behind, front, from the sides, every area was covered. However, his opponent was still Uchiha Itachi. In the blink of an eye, Itachi countered three of the clones, grabbing one by the collar as it approached him for a grapple, proceeding to swing it against two others like he was smacking them with a club. Naruto could have sworn he was grinning.

Not one to just stop, Naruto instead went even fiercer. His eyes burned, pupils becoming slit and red and his whiskers flaring up. He began to tap into the power of the Nine Tails. Itachi was still swift though, casually dodging strike after strike in spite of Naruto's renewed assault.

"Hyaaah!"

Sakura flew in, aiming at Itachi's head. At the very least he was finally forced to block. It did him little good though, his arm crumpling under the sheer force that Sakura exhibited. It sent him flying right towards Kakashi who already had a move prepared.

_Raiton: Dairaiyari!_

As it named entailed, a giant lance of electricity flew from Kakashi's hands and shot through Itachi's back and out of his chest. However, Naruto was certain he wasn't imagining things now. That bastard _was_ grinning.

XXXXX

"Welcome back." Kisame said as Itachi's consciousness returned to their current location. In actuality their real bodies were nowhere near the Leaf nin.

"I was hoping to go on for a bit longer. That technique is good for keeping us out of the way, but it limits my movepool drastically. How did it go with you?"

"Bah, I got hasty and angry too quickly. That beast bastard couldn't even remember my name."

"Guy-san never was the sharpest tool."

"At least we delayed them, if only briefly. We still have a long time ahead of us."

The clock was still ticking. A pity Itachi hadn't been able to be at that fight in person. Uzumaki Naruto…he was truly going to be an interesting specimen.

XXXXX

Translations for original techniques:

_Hakkeshou: Urakaiten Mou-uzu –_ Eight Trigrams Palm: Reverse Revolving Heaven Fierce Vortex

_Hakke: Kawashou _– Eight Trigrams: River Palm

_Raiton: Dairaiyari_ – Lightning Release: Great Lightning Spear


	8. Scroll 7

Scroll Seven: Mistakes

After the nonstop running and having to fend off Itachi's bizarre, body-hopped clone, the group finally took a chance to rest. Could they afford it they could have kept going for a few hours more, but even Naruto's stamina had its limits. They settled in a grove deep in the forest and made camp.

Naruto, despite his exhaustion, couldn't sleep. His mind was just working too much, thinking back to Itachi. That bastard…just how many people did he have to make miserable until he was satisfied?

"Naruto, are you still awake?" Sakura put some more wood on the fire, bringing a bit more light to the camp.

"Unfortunately." He would like nothing better than to go to sleep right now.

"Well, I would try to help, but it's better to go to sleep naturally. Besides, there are some things I'd like to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Well, about those _things_ inside of you and Gaara."

"The old man told me a lot over our trip, but I still didn't get a lot of it." Naruto sat up, thinking that perhaps getting all that junk data inside out would help him sleep. "Plus even he had to admit there are some things he's not completely sure of with them. The problem is the lack of knowledge of a motive. The Akatsuki don't let anyone in easy and they got some of their own spies here and there."

"If you want to guess a motive, you go with the simplest and most obvious one: they want to use the Beasts as weapons."

Well, even Naruto could have guessed that. Jiraiya had told him a lot about the Beasts during their journey. For as long as people had recorded history the Beasts had walked the earth. It was difficult to guess their origins, a lot of it being grounded in old myths and folklore that stretched back for thousands of years. However, Jiraiya had also told Naruto about what people would sometimes try to do with the Beasts: tame them. Or leash them.

Naruto could see the point. He had felt the Nine-tails chakra time and time again and that was a mere fraction of what the thing was capable. A living natural disaster was a good idea for a weapon. In theory, anyway.

"They're just too unstable though." Naruto thought out loud. "I mean, Gaara was a ticking time bomb before he got better. Who does that to a newborn kid?"

"I did."

Chiyo came from the bushes, having stepped out for a bit previously. Naruto didn't think it was possible for Chiyo to look older than she already was, but she did it. More than that she looked worn, tired, her beady little eyes forlorn.

"You…_you _did that to him?" Naruto managed to say it through clenched teeth.

"Yes, my clan has always excelled in sealing arts, along with medical techniques and puppetry. That's why, when the Kazekage's wife went into labor prematurely, I was the midwife at the delivery. And the one…who sealed that demon into Gaara."

It was taking everything Naruto had to not strike the small elder standing before him. His nails dug into his palms, tight enough to where he was drawing blood. He managed to have enough composure to keep his civility intact.

"Why?"

"As Sakura here said, the Beasts are ideal weapons. Time and time again, people have tried to harness them in case of a war. However, can you tame a hurricane or an earthquake? No, it's ridiculous to try. Just using the Beasts directly always ended in failure, their would-be tamers often being destroyed in the aftermath."

"So they devised a different solution then." Sakura always picked up on things quickly.

"Yes, the Beasts themselves were a no-go, but then a clan from the Land of Whirlpools devised an odd technique. Through complex, powerful rituals the Beasts' chakra could be compressed and sealed into a human. It was a brilliant idea. Volunteers offered themselves as vessels. But then foolish men happened once again."

"…How many have there been?" Naruto asked.

"For us, including Gaara, Shuukaku has had three containers. A jinchuuriki has to be selected carefully. Compatibility is key as an unfit vessel always ends in disaster."

"How do you remove one of them?"

"It's possible to do so with proper time and preparation, but it's never ended well. Gaara's predecessors had Shuukaku removed and died within the hour of extraction. And that was with the extraction being voluntary and prepared ahead of time."

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and violently took hold of Chiyo's collar. Choking with rage he glared right into her eyes. He didn't see an ounce of defense in them. She knew what she had done.

"You did this to him. You…you _stupid_ old farts. Don't you ever LEARN!?"

"The old never do, Naruto. All we do are the same things our forefathers did."

"Why? Why did you do that to a newborn child?"

"Because I thought the same thing as everyone else before me: 'it'll be different. I won't make the same mistakes, I'm better than they were, I'm smarter, I'm more clever, I have new things they didn't have.' But the cycle went on."

"Naruto," Kakashi finally came back from circling the perimeter and laying traps "there is no point to this. What's done is _done_."

He let go of Chiyo, though his anger was still swelling. He wasn't done yet.

"All you ever do, all that you dumbasses ever do is screw up and mess things up. And we, the kids, the ones who were never supposed to be a part of it, are the ones who suffer."

"Yeah, and I've made a lot more mistakes than most. But I don't intend to make any more."

Chiyo took first watch for sentry duty. After that debacle no one was in the mood to talk. Naruto feel asleep after awhile. Chiyo couldn't help but think of the two boys that she was going to see tomorrow.

Where had she gone wrong? She knew she could never replace Sasori's parents, her own son and her daughter-in-law who died by the White Fang and was even robbed of the chance to avenge them. Did she…did she just not love him enough?

Was this retribution? Her whole life had been a succession of failures and misery. Her family torn apart, her grandson a murderer and a monster, and her unwillingness to question her Kage when he ordered her to seal a vicious demon into his own son was now causing this. Was this price she paid for being a shinobi?

That boy, Uzumaki Naruto…he was right. She could only imagine what being the holder of the Nine-Tails was like. Never once had she tried to aid the child she doomed to a fate of isolation and pain. And if she never put that thing in him, he wouldn't be a target of madmen. She had enough of it. It was time to own up.

_Sasori, no matter how tomorrow ends, it will be our last day together_

XXXXX

Neji and his team were flying like mad. Their fight with Kisame had lost them valuable time and they had to redouble their efforts in order to make it to the rendezvous point. They could still make it, they had enough time to get to Gaara if they ran as fast as they could.

They had gotten past the forests awhile ago and now were in the deep river valleys. Just from the lack of sound Neji knew something was wrong. Not even a bird in the sky or a cicada's loud clicking despite it being in the dead of summer. His Byakugan was on at all times, long since having been able to mitigate the chakra drain and physical strain. Far ahead he caught sight of figures moving through the trees.

"Sensei! Kakashi's group is approaching from the north! We should be on them in a few minutes!"

"Good, do you notice anything else suspicious?"

"No, there's no else around for kilometers and I don't see any barriers or objects out of place."

"Be ready for anything."

"Even me?"

How in the world their guest managed to sneak up on _Neji_ failed to register, but standing right next to him was a narrow-eyed, ponytailed man in a black cloak. Neji went to retaliate, but he struck nothing but air. Reaching into his cloak, the man threw out a kunai that landed on the ground. With a quick snap of his fingers the ground shook and suddenly the five of them were trapped in a pentagonal barrier. The only one outside of it was Pakkun.

"Guys!"

"Get to Kakashi and tell him we'll be there as soon as we take care of this!" Guy-sensei ordered. "There's no way in hell he's taking out an Akatsuki before me."

He just couldn't resist turning this into a contest, Neji thought. Oh well, it gave him extra motivation.

Tenten responded first, having whipped out one of her scrolls the second the man showed up and fired off a series of kunai in rapid succession. Not a single one hit, the man pulling a naginata out of thin air and deflecting them right back at her. Had she moved an inch they would have hit instead of merely grazing her. This guy was just plain showing off.

"So, you're the other group that they sent." The man spoke and then bowed. "A pleasure to meet you all, my name is Shuu."

"Well, if you're giving your name, then I'm Might Guy!"

Combining his introduction with a charge, Guy-sensei went flying with nunchaku in hand. He missed, if barely. The ground that he struck cracked.

"And I'm Rock Lee!"

A Leaf Whirlwind was aimed right at Shuu's head. And he managed to deflect it just by guiding Lee's leg away with a mere tilt of his halberd's haft. Not one to let a deviation deter him, Lee lashed out with his fist and managed to brush Shuu's face.

Idiots, they couldn't afford to play this fair and square. They had to keep moving!

Neji's eyes flared up and he immediately went into his stance. He was going for the kill blow immediately. Luckily, with it being four on one, the Akatsuki was in range.

_Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou!_

It never went off. Shuu managed to slip away from Guy-sensei and Lee to send Neji skidding back with a vicious strike to the solar plexus. The wind was knocked out of Neji so hard his Byakugan deactivated. That man…he stopped Neji's killshot?

"If you want a stop a move, make sure it never starts." The man smugly informed Neji.

Shuu's eyes opened, revealing a pair of electric blue pools. Neji did _not_ like that look he was being given. With Kisame, his presence had been booming, like a thundercloud. This man though…his presence was sickening, making a ball of anxiety and dread build in Neji's gut. He then turned his attention to Guy-sensei.

"Might Guy...I'll apologize to Kisame-san later."

"Who?"

XXXXX

Gaara was in a white void, nothing as far as the eye could see. Before it had been blackness. It felt so odd, nostalgic, warm.

_Gaara…_

A voice that he heard and not called out to him. But still, just more endless white. He felt it though, he wasn't alone. What was going on?

_I'm here, Gaara. My little Gaara…_

Something embraced him, holding him close, tight. It felt…warm. What was this? He felt like he was needed by it. He, who no one ever wanted.

_Shh, shh, shh, shhhhhhh it's alright_

This warmth, this affection, why did it feel so familiar to him? He, who always alone, always unneeded, what would make someone feel this way towards him? He returned the embrace, lost in its warmth and love.

XXXXX

"It's done." Pain announced as the last of Shuukaku's chakra was pulled into the statue.

Gaara fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. And not a moment too soon because they had guests who had just broken down the front door.

"Deidara, Sasori, dispose of the intruders. And take the Nine-Tails boy alive."

"He's a blond-haired lad with whiskers on his cheeks." Itachi told them. "He'll lose his temper the quickest."

"Ahhhh, three days of this and I finally get some action, hm."

"Sorry if we get your target, Itachi."

The meeting adjourned right as the group entered. Deidara had been listless and now he was looking to finally have some fun. He saw them, the famous Copycat Ninja Kakashi, a pink-haired girl, an old woman, a boy.

"You bastards….!" His eyes shifted from cool blue to violent red. Yeah, that was definitely the Jinchuuriki.

"Mind if I take him, Master Sasori, hm?"

"Tch, it's two Beasts per team and you already got yours." They began to argue.

"C'mon, I need some inspiration. The Nine-Tails is prime quality too, hm."

"Your explosions are art? You really are impetuous. Art needs to be everlasting, beautiful."

Naruto was getting sick of those two acting so nonchalantly. Pulling out a scroll, he summoned a shuriken to hand. If those two weren't going to act first, he sure as hell would. The metal throwing star flew…though it was deflected by Sasori who wasn't even looking.

"Deidara, I'm not in the mood to argue." Sasori's tone was nasty.

"Chill out, master, hm. Besides, I got a better way to take this load." Deidara's clay bird scooped Gaara into its mouth. "Later."

Deidara flew out of the entrance on his mount, prompting Naruto to follow without a bit of hesitation. Kakashi cursed, hoping that Guy's team could finish up that fight.

Sakura and Chiyo were left with Sasori. Sakura swallowed deeply. She knew just from looking at him that the gap between the two of them was enormous. Experience, kills, this guy was like a lion before Sakura's cub.

"It's been awhile, Grandma." Sasori spoke, his tone back to a civil one.

"Yes, about twenty years, I reckon."

"I've been perfecting what you taught me all those years ago. I don't think you could even touch me." The bladed tail snaked out from Sasori's robes. "I would like to take my time, but I have to teach my stupid partner a lesson in humility, so I'm just going to get this over with. With the two of you, my collection will be an even three-hundred."

"Sakura, that is _not_ Sasori's real body." Chiyo informed her. "It's Hiruko, an old favorite puppet of his."

"Heh, glad I got paired with you."

"It's a tad different from the one I remember, but the base it probably the same. Tsunade has given you superhuman strength so one good whack should split him open like a melon on a trip to the beach." She gave the girl a pat on the back. "Just keep up with me!"

The two of them began. While Sasori was definitely an expert, even his experience paled to Chiyo. And Sakura needed to show that she wasn't the same, spoiled little brat from before. She was putting her life on the line.


	9. Scroll 8

Scroll Eight: Three Way

Damned Naruto, running off half-cocked, thought Kakashi. He barely managed to get a hold of his student before he ended doing something horrendously stupid instead of the normal stupid.

"Naruto, cut it out!" He snapped, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back.

"Sensei, we need to chase him!"

"I know, he wants us to do that anyway, but you have to keep a clear head. Jiraiya told me all about what happened during your training, including _that _incident."

"Dammit." Naruto breathed deep. He was still pumping adrenaline and pissed as hell, but he was calmer. "I'm sorry, what do you want me to do?"

"Judging by the report we got and the data we heard, Deidara is a long-ranged fighter. He excels at keeping us away, which means he's probably cripplingly underequipped for a melee fight. Plus it looks like he lost an arm to Gaara, only making his disadvantage worse."

"How do we get in though?"

"Well, that's where I come in. You're a brawler, so be ready to move in for the kill when the time comes. It's gonna take me time to prep it because of my chakra."

"Gotcha."

Naruto and Kakashi headed after Deidara's giant clay bird. They hurried, but Kakashi had to ready himself. Were it not for Deidara keeping such a distance Kakashi would have used the Dairaiyari to swat him down. The problem was that technique had limits, being best suited for mid range. He also couldn't discount the possibility that Deidara had been informed the day before.

No, Kakashi needed to use one of his only original moves. It was time for Kamui.

XXXXX

"RAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Guy-sensei gave a roar befitting his moniker. He finally managed to land a blow on Shuu, sending the man skyward. Lee, not even needing a signal, flew into the air as if to spike the Akatsuki member like in a volleyball match.

Shuu read him though, discarding his naginata by throwing it. Lee twisted his torso, the blade only managing to make a flesh wound. He thought they had an opening. _Thought._

The polearm came flying back, missing Lee, but giving Shuu a foothold in the air. He just stood in mid-air, observing the four Leaf ninjas before him.

"I must say, this is quite fun." Shuu spoke, almost mocking them just by doing so. "If I weren't under orders to kill you I think I might be getting a little attached."

"Shut _up._"

Tenten set off another one of her scrolls, this time using a thick, steel chain to try and restrain him. Despite the lengthy coil zipping along as a blur, Shuu merely dropped off his foothold and back to the ground. Luckily, Tenten had been anticipating that. She managed to get the links wrapped around his naginata and get it out of the reach his hand. Were she not in the middle of a fight, she would be drooling over its exquisite craftsmanship. He was disarmed now, losing a big advantage.

Guy-sensei, Lee, and Neji went in for the kill. Neji was ready with his Juuken from the right and Lee and Guy-sensei were coming in from above and behind. They had him.

But then the three of them were suddenly avoiding some bizarre contraption that slithered out from Shuu. Neji managed to avoid it, feeling a blade kiss his cheek while Lee and Guy-sensei were soon nursing gashes on their arms. They backed away from the maelstrom of death as soon as they got a chance, wondering what the hell just happened. Like a dancer, Shuu was spinning. In his hand was a sword hilt and the blade was segmented and connected by wires, like a whip. Tenten's eyes widened, having heard of those rare swords but never seeing one personally.

"Like it?" Shuu grinned smugly. "It's called a hebitou, only thirteen of them exist in the entire world. This one was quite pricy. It took me half a year to-"

Could this guy monologue about _anything_? Tenten pitched several bombs at him, though with a deft flick of his wrist he sliced them in half. He was recognizing Tenten as a nuisance and aimed directly for her. However, a splash of blood hit her just as something flew in front of her.

"NEJI!"

"I'm fine, it didn't hit anything vital."

Neji had to admit, getting something shot through his shoulder the second time wasn't as bad. But he noticed it. Shuu had changed his trajectory at the last second. He saw Neji coming, but didn't choose to go for the killing blow. He didn't get why, but that thick cloak of Shuu's was blocking his sight somehow. He couldn't see his coils and he couldn't tell what he was carrying under it. Still, Neji had an idea.

"Tenten, we need to get rid of his arsenal." Neji whispered. "He's probably like you in that he's got a lot of scrolls hidden in that heavy cloak of his."

"I got the perfect thing for that." she slipped him a scroll. "Just one thing."

"Yeah?"

"You owe me a nice dinner when we get back."

"You got it."

Neji, despite his shoulder being wrecked, charged at Shuu. He disliked the idea of emulating Guy-sensei and Lee, but it had its appeal. Shuu backed off, which led him to the waiting fists of Guy-sensei and Lee.

_Sou Renge!_

Even an Akatsuki would be scared of that. The air pressure displaced from Guy and Lee was enough to knock him off balance. And Neji shoved the little trinket Tenten had given him against Shuu.

Shuu at first thought he'd been struck by the Juuken…until no pain came. But then he smelled a strange, pungent scent coming from his cloak. He recognized that smell. And only just noticed a spark hitting him square in the chest

His cloak lit up like torch and was engulfed in flames. They finally got rid of his arsenal, Shuu being forced to discard his cloak. He was bare-chested now, revealing a wiry, but solid frame of honed muscle. His skin and hair were a little scorched from the fire, but he was otherwise undamaged. However, all he did was grin.

"If you wanted to see everything, you could have just asked."

He flexed the fingers on his right hand and in an instant he was holding three, hook-bladed knives between his fingers and an iron claw in his left.

XXXXX

Sasori made the first move against Sakura and Chiyo. His puppet's mouth fired a barrage of poisoned, iron needles. It wasn't just medical techniques she'd learned, Tsunade busted her ass as a fighter too. As usual though, punching stuff proved to be more versatile than it seemed. The force of Sakura striking the earth created a smoke screen, deflecting some of the projectiles. Chiyo was doing fine, having read the needles' trajectory and just kept moving forward, even throwing out kunai. All it took was one punch. All that Sakura needed to do was get in and land one, solid hit.

Something flew into view just as Sakura resumed her charge. Sasori had fired the left arm of his puppet. No time to do her ground-pound trick again, she had to dodge. The arm exploded like a grenade, filling the air with shrapnel again and a piercing bang.

"Tch, even the brat dodged them." Sasori growled.

Sakura was just as surprised as he was. She had expected to get grazed at least, but she wasn't complaining. Sasori had used up his two long-range techniques so there was no way Sakura was passing this up. Feinting, she kept an eye on that giant tail of his as she made her move. She could make it, he didn't even have it aimed at her and she was just two body lengths away. Almost there…

Sasori's tail went for the kill, going right for Sakura's heart. However, he noticed it…jammed. Oh hell…

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

With a punch that would have made Lee and Guy blush, Sakura smashed Sasori's armored body into dust. Reinforced plating and thick armor were obliterated before the force of Sakura's blow. Just as he strike landed something flew out, retreating to the back of the cave. Was that his real body, Sakura thought? A chuckle came from the black cloak, a very different voice than Sakura had been hearing before.

"Well, I should have guessed it before." Sasori said. "That pat on the back wasn't just for encouragement, was it?"

Damn, he knew already. Chiyo had placed chakra threads on Sakura just before the fight started for extra insurance. Chiyo, being Sasori's teacher, could assist Sakura. Even at her old age her fingers were steady.

"Very good, being able to figure that out in an instant. You really are my grandson. But I'm done playing, Sasori. You're overdue for a spanking."

"If you can get that close." Sasori removed his cloak and revealed a face far too youthful from what Chiyo had been saying.

"Chiyo-baasama, is that really Sasori?"

"No doubt about it, it's definitely my grandson. Don't know how he managed to age so gracefully though."

"Like I said, that which is everlasting is true beauty. So let me show you a most exquisite example of that."

Sasori removed a scroll, summoning another puppet. Unlike Hiruko, this one wasn't abstract or odd. Even Kankurou's puppets had looked odder, Sasori's just being a humanoid with a head of black hair. However, the look on Chiyo's face was that of sheer horror.

"The Third…Kazekage, the strongest of them all."

That didn't fill Sakura with confidence, but Chiyo responded in kind. Two puppets popped out from a pair of scrolls she had. Sakura couldn't help but notice the male one looked oddly like Sasori. The Akatsuki gave a hollow smirk.

"Well, this certainly is one heart-warming family reunion, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mother and Father are _very_ disappointed, Sasori."

Sakura was sweating bullets. These two had been waiting for this for a long time. As much of an outsider as she was, she had to help. Taking a syringe she had, she injected herself. She had three minutes to decide this.

XXXXX

Naruto and Kakashi weren't in the middle of a fight, it was a chase. Deidara was just toying with them, trying to keep them as far away from Sakura and Sasori as he could. He wasn't even giving it his all, just dropping down his bombs every now and again. His bird gave him enough speed to keep a fair distance, but he never gained too much. He always kept Naruto and Kakashi in line of sight.

"Goddammit, why did that stupid old man never teach me any long-ranged moves?"

"We'll definitely put that on the curriculum when this is over." Kakashi had to concentrate even while moving. Man, this technique was so unwieldy. Still it was the best chance they had. They couldn't afford to get further away from Sakura.

"Is it ready?"

"As ready it'll ever be." Kakashi's eyes flashed, the pattern of his Sharingan drastically changing. "Alright, let's hope this works…"

XXXXX

Just where in the _hell_ was Shuu hiding all those things? Disarming him was doing no good because as soon as one weapon was knocked away another took its place instantaneously. Spears, swords, axes, hammers, knives, daggers, clubs, whips, sickles, weapons Lee had never seen before, combinations of others, nearly every possible implement used for battle had been conjured by him and he just wouldn't run out. The battlefield was littered with metal, some of it Shuu's but also a lot of it Tenten's. Neji was wounded and getting worn out, the previous fight with that shark bastard still having taken a sizable chunk of chakra out of him. Lee and Guy-sensei could risk the Renge again, but it would probably take both of them using the higher Gates. And they still had two more Akatsuki after this. Such a big gamble.

Tenten, for the first time in awhile, was running out of ammo. Plus she'd been having trouble firing off her tools without her teammates covering her. Lee heard the report of explosions far off. Kakashi-san's team was no doubt in the middle of a battle themselves. They couldn't mess around anymore.

"You know, I can make it quick if you just ask." Shuu said as he was using the blade of a knife to clean the dirt out of his painted nails. "Besides, this is just getting sad now. I'd rather remember the lot of you when you didn't look like haggard dogs."

"Shut _up_!"

Guy-sensei went for another assault, but was stopped short as one of Shuu's discarded blades went flying on its own and landed square in his thigh. Guy-sensei still kept going though, even as Shuu kept bringing up more and more blades.

"Lee, Tenten!" Neji whispered.

"What?"

"I have a plan, but I need you to listen carefully. I don't know why, but he hasn't been aiming to kill me this whole time. I need you to trust me on this."

"I will. Just tell me what to do."

"Lee, get ready to bloom, Tenten, I need you to use _that_. This is going to be cutting it tight."

Guy kept moving forward, stuck with more metal than he had been in his entire life. They were just flesh wounds, nothing a good medical-nin couldn't fix. He covered his vitals and avoided anything that was large. He knew his students were cooking something up. The fact that they hadn't called to him meant he was doing what they needed. He'd be their shield. All he needed to do was trust in them.

Shuu sighed as Guy was closing the gap. With a flick, all the metal that he had implanted in Guy dislodged themselves, his wounds spurting red. Every discarded tool rose to the sky, positioning behind Shuu. Dozens, hundreds of blades, aiming right for Guy.

"Farewell, Might Guy."

Like a cannon they all shot straight at Guy. They never reached though as Neji threw himself in front of his sensei. The blades tickled him, drawing blood, but never going beyond breaking skin. If he had timed this wrong, the sword tip right next to his eye would have cost him dearly.

_Shoumon, open!_

Lee had his chance now. With four of the gates opened his speed was so quick that Shuu didn't even have time to block. Lee felt ribs crumple under his fist and sent Shuu slamming upward into his own barrier. He wasn't done. He would pay this man back tenfold

_Haru no Ho-ou!_

Kicking at rapid-fire speed, Lee assaulted Shuu, not giving him a chance to recover. Lee's muscles were straining, but he couldn't let up. Tenten still needed a few seconds.

Another blade whistled from below, aiming at Lee. He didn't care, letting it sink into the fleshiest part of his arm. Besides, Tenten was ready. He released the Renge and collapsed, landing ungracefully. And Tenten was kneeling, a sheathed blade in her hand ready to be drawn. It was always so hard to dodge in midair.

_Hissatsu: Bakuengiri!_

The second of the blade's drawing made the very air erupt into a violent explosion. The space of front of Tenten was blown away, hitting Shuu with the force of dozens of bombs. He went flying so far he landed in a river. If he was even alive, which was slim considering how the barrier dissipated, he was in no shape to bother them.

The team collapsed, exhausted after having dealt with something like that. Guy grinned and gave his students a thumbs-up.

"Well done, guys, we're having a big dinner on me when we get back home."

"Ah man, Dad's gonna _kill me_…." Tenten despaired seeing that the sword she used had been chipped with the use of that technique.

"It's a small price to pay. We need to get to Kakashi."

"Sensei, I think we're too banged up to be of much help." Lee groaned. The Renge wasn't as bad as before, but it always made him sore.

"Still, a little help is better than none. They're counting on us."

XXXXX

Translations:

Sou Renge: Twin Lotus

Haru no Ho-Ou: Spring Phoenix

Hissatsu: Bakuengiri: Certain Death: Explosive Flame Slash


	10. Scroll 9

Scroll Nine: Dance of the Karakuri

This was no longer a battle between humans, this was a puppet theater. Chiyo cursed herself at being such a good teacher to Sasori. The puppets in the guise of Sasori's parents were packed to the gills with weapons. She could no longer guide Sakura either, her full attention needing to be focused on dealing with the Third Kazekage.

It was sickening, turning a human into a puppet. She had heard of the dark, amoral art when in times of war. There was no better way to capitalize on an opponent's strengths by adding one to your roster. And if they didn't need to be alive to do so it was even better. Still, it filled her with disgust.

From the Kazekage's mouth poured a cloud of blackness, surrounding him and Sasori. The Iron Sand, the technique that made the Third Kazekage revered as the strongest shinobi the village ever knew. No doubt Sasori had made some modifications to this as well, never one to be satisfied with something that was fine even from the beginning.

"Sakura, you're on your own." She whispered. "But no matter what, don't get hit. All it'll take is one scratch for death to get you."

"Hey, I may not have fancy weapons, but I have my master's techniques and her utter contempt for losing."

"Watch out for the sand, my puppets are rigged properly to counteract such measures, but you can't use metal weapons with him due to magnetic forces."

"Perfect, I was taught to just pummel things anyway."

All it took was one punch, she assured herself. The black cloud Sasori's puppet conjured began to take a proper shape. Within seconds there were spears of black iron raining down on them. Chiyo dodged while simultaneously making her puppets go on the offensive. Allowing her to act like a one-woman team, she went to pincer Sasori with her puppets. No such luck, the Iron Sand forming a shield to repel the ceramic blades and projectiles that the puppets fired. Still Sakura was there.

With him devoting so much attention to Chiyo, he had let Sakura slip. He created another wall of iron sand to impede her, but all that made her do was strike it, sending it flying towards Sasori. Even he was astounded by just how much of a nuisance that girl was proving to be.

"Alright, enough!"

The Kazekage's full, undivided attention was now on Sakura. Once again the Iron Sand began to form, this time spreading and dividing, like a thorn bush.

_Satetsu Kaihou!_

It shredded the cave like paper, the ceiling collapsing. The Kazekage was one of his strongest puppets, able to take down entire squads of ANBU or Jounin. There was no way they were getting up after that.

The dust settled, Chiyo lying on her back. Her puppets were damaged, the Iron Sand having gotten into their joints. And the girl was bleeding. Just a scratch was enough, obvious from how she collapsed. It would be enough to leave her as she was, the poison having immobilized her and was working through her system. But Sasori had enough leaving things unfinished. The Kazekage flew, its bladed arms ready to shred her to pieces.

Just one punch.

The puppet shattered, Sasori's most prized possession now reduced to a useless heap of scrap from the force of Sakura's fist. The Iron Sand fell limply to the ground, covering the floor in a layer of black. He grit his teeth.

"You…you little _bitch_!" It had caused him nothing but grief taking down that man ten years ago in order to collect his corpse. And now his efforts were gone.

"Heh heh, not so scary now that its strings have been cut." She began tending to her wounds, the cuts from the Iron Sand closing.

"Sakura, you immunized yourself?"

"Yeah, but I've got a minute and a half tops. I have a shot for you, but I don't think he's gonna let me use another."

"You're right, I won't."

Sasori removed his robe, revealing just why he had aged so well. That was not a human body any longer. A torso made of reinforced ceramic emblazoned with the kanji for his name, a thick cable wrapped inside the cavity of his abdomen, extra arms on his back that were equipped with blades, and those were only the obvious ones. No doubt he had more tricks.

"It's been a long time since I used myself, and this. Be honored."

He took out a scroll and opened a cavity in his chest. From it flew a multitude of strings, each one of them connected to a separate puppet.

"To require me to use a technique that took out a country, I must be getting dull."

How many were there; thirty, maybe fifty? No two were the same, ranging in shapes from humanoid to bestial, some having multiple heads, no heads, strange, alien limbs, and some perfect recreations of people, others as strange as could be.

Chiyo did the same, summoning ten puppets, one for each finger. It wasn't the same as Sasori's numbers, but it was help. It was them versus an army; this was the final act. And they had to win.

XXXXX

Deidara had probably been screwing around too much, admittedly. It was actually a bit boring fighting brawlers who had no proper way to deal with him. He'd occasionally do a run, but he was always too high for them to counter. Did they really not have anything? He found it hard to believe that the famous Kakashi was lacking in long-range or didn't know how to do long-range attacks. In fact, he'd gotten nothing from either of them for the past minute. They couldn't have just given up already.

This was getting boring. Besides, he was running out of clay and there was a Jinchuuriki right in front of him. He was going to bag that boy by the end of the day.

He had enough to finish the job. At this range, with their lack of defenses against Deidara's fire power they were outclassed. And Master Sasori was even stronger than Deidara. The girl and the old woman were probably lying dead right now. As for Shuu, he could only imagine how badly his targets looked. Time to wrap this up.

However, something…well, Deidara didn't know what it was, but he felt something _pull_ him. His bird went off course for a bit, stumbling through the air drunkenly.

"The hell, hm!?" He managed to regain control, righting himself.

Was there a third one he hadn't seen? He didn't have time to look, that bizarre sensation once again coming. And this time it was concentrated around his remaining arm.

"Son of a bitch!"

He couldn't get out of it. Space warped, drawing him in further and further in like a vacuum. He knew this sensation, it was doujutsu. Shit, that stupid bloodline irritating him again. This was gonna suck.

With a massive pull, Deidara managed to avoid getting sucked in, but now he was down another arm. He took back what he said to Master Sasori, now evaluating this as the worst injury in his entire life.

Kakashi winced, his Sharingan straining his chakra reserves along with a migraine on its way. He had meant to get Deidara right in the chest, but was miles off. He couldn't test this often, so he had no idea the full extent of its ins and outs. No matter though, the plan was already in motion.

Despite being disarmed, Deidara was far from helpless. He'd been through plenty of situations where he had been unable to use his hands. That Kakashi bastard and the Jinchuuriki were going to….wait, where was the kid?

_Rasengan!_

Just out of the corner of his eye, Deidara managed to catch a flash of orange. He leapt off his ride, letting the kid have his catch. There was no point in having that corpse anyway besides bait.

"Gaara, Gaara!"

Naruto peeled open the bird's head, revealing a prone Gaara. Oh god, he couldn't be, Naruto thought. Naruto checked his pulse. No, it was faint, but he was still there. Every inch of Naruto burned. Where was that bombing bastard? Naruto wanted to find him and pound him into gravy.

"Your ass is mine!" He declared, looking around for a shock of black or blonde in the tree cover.

Deidara knew better, having retreated into the bushes. The kid was strong, but he sure as hell wasn't observant. Deidara had to admit he lost this fight. There was no point in continuing this.

However, just as Deidara turned around, he saw four people Shuu should have taken care of. This was the worst day of Deidara's life. _Ever_.

Guy went for a hook, though the strain from the previous fight had worn him down. Deidara fled, avoiding a barrage of shuriken and kunai from Tenten and a Kuushou or two from Neji that tore out chunks of tree trunks. They gave chase, pincering him with the timely arrival of Kakashi.

"You're late, Guy!"

"But it came at the cost of winning the challenge!"

"I don't remember accepting that!"

Deidara went to his downed bird. Everybody was hesitant to move, knowing that a cornered animal was always one of the worst things to deal with. However, Deidara did something highly unexpected: he chomped down on his bird and swallowed the clay it was made of.

"Heh heh, you got front row seats! My art…IS A BLAST!"

"Run!" Neji yelled, having seen with his Byakugan just what in the world was going on. Chakra was concentrating at a single point in Deidara's body. It was mixing and convulsing, converging together in a violent crescendo.

However, just as soon as it started, it never came. Neji's group was trying to outrun the blast, but nobody was capable of that from that distance. But the blast never reached them, in fact imploding to its point of origin. Something sucked in gigatons of force, drawing it into a point in space. Neji managed to catch a glimpse of it, but wasn't sure what it was he saw.

"Gah…" Kakashi winced; firing that off three times in one day was pushing it.

"What was that?" Guy asked.

"Kamui, a new technique I whipped up. Get caught in it, you're getting sucked into another dimension."

"Truly spectacular." Guy grinned.

"Sensei!" Naruto yelled. "I'm headed back to Sakura-chan and Chiyo-baasan!"

"How's Gaara? You shouldn't be moving him!"

"Well I don't have much choice, he's fading fast! And Sakura-chan and Chiyo-baasan could use help!"

"Neji, you're the most qualified to administer emergency first-aid due to your Juuken." Guy ordered. "Tenten, Lee, stay behind to guard the Kazekage and Kakashi. Naruto, I'll go with you. If anything happens we can be backup."

Naruto really hoped Sakura and the old woman were finished.

XXXXX

Sakura had never witnessed a fight like this in her entire life. This was straight out of legend. Chiyo and Sasori weren't warriors, they were artists. Their puppets flew through the air, not battling but dancing. It was like the world's most visceral puppet show.

Sasori favored brute force, trying to overwhelm Sakura and Chiyo with numbers. Still they pushed forward. Chiyo, far more experienced, had fought against high numbers many times. The tactics were usually the same. She knew her puppets weren't coming out of here in one piece, so she put everything she had into all out offense. Blades shredded and pierced, implements smashed and ground, explosives fired, poisons bellowed in deadly clouds or seeped as liquids, and were it not for the victims being puppets, this would have been the most visceral massacre in the history of the Country of Wind.

Sakura kept the timer in her head going, sixty seconds until her antidote wore off. Like Chiyo, she concentrated on mitigating damage. She was already avoiding one of the medical-nin tenants. She didn't care, there was no choice. And besides, her trump card let her get away with breaking the rules anyway.

Another puppet burst like a melon under the force of Sakura's fists. Still, as soon as it shattered it pelted her with needles. They were a nuisance, always giving her a load of paper cuts that stung. Fifty seconds.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Sasori wasn't one to be a spectator or just the puppeteer, he was right in the middle. One of Chiyo's puppets fell, ripped limb from limb by Sasori's own creations before his bladed arms shredded it. Sakura went for a strike, hoping to put an end to him quickly, but Sasori flew apart and then reformed some distance from her. From his palms came a deluge of liquid fire, turning the stone she had stood on into goop. She had gained nothing. Forty seconds.

Black robes and limbs fell to the ground, piling on top of one another. Sakura had to get rid of Sasori. Or at least give Chiyo an opening. The old woman took a slash to her arm. Thirty seconds.

"Chiyo-baasama!"

"Don't worry about me, just get ready for the kill!"

One of Chiyo's puppets fired something from his mouth before being run though by five of Sasori's puppets and promptly self-destructing. Sakura caught the object and threw it as Sasori. With her enhanced strength there was no way he could dodge that. Twenty seconds

Sasori was pinned to a wall by the huge, sculpted face that the ball had become. Chiyo collapsed, her puppets wrecked and Sasori's equally decimated.

"He's going nowhere, that seal completely stops chakra. And a puppeteer who can't use their puppets has already lost."

Ten seconds, Sakura thought. She made it out with time to spare.

"Chiyo-baasama, take the-!"

A blade pierced Sakura through the chest. Just enough to touch her heart, cold steel ran her through. It was then that she noticed that "Sasori" was a shell. Zero seconds. But she wasn't going down gentle.

Sakura kept a hold on the sword, keeping Sasori from withdrawing it. She was getting dizzy, Sasori's venom having been coated onto the blade. Dammit, she never thought she'd have to use her trump card.

_Byakugou no In, release!_

The symbol on her head expanded, coiling down her face and spreading throughout her body. It was keeping him at bay, closing around the blade. Still, the poison was making chakra control difficult. She was fighting the poison just as quickly as it was gaining. But the chakra drain was enormous. She couldn't even muster a final punch due to having to concentrate on the wound in her chest. No wonder Master used it after a fight. Crap, she was passing…

Sakura felt a slight jab in her thigh. Chiyo had inoculated her again.

"Chiyo-baa…"

The pain was bad, forcing Sakura to her knees. Sasori let her fall, leaving behind his arm to reveal a hidden blade. He went in for the kill, but never landed. The first two puppets Sasori ever made, spitting images of his lost parents, embraced him as they ran him through. Sasori, despite being a puppet, bled.

"When did you…?" He asked his grandmother.

"I wondered why you had your name signed on your chest. I suppose it's a typical artist's vanity to mark everything, including themselves. Had you truly been a puppet you wouldn't have been able to move, so you had to use a core." Chiyo went to administer aid to Sakura, removing the blade from her chest.

"It's no use, she's lost too much blood."

"She's already taken care of the external wounds. I'm just giving her some of my own juice."

A life transfer technique, Sasori had heard of it. By transferring some of their own essence, miracles could be wrought. But the closer the patient was to death, the more the user had to transfer. Chiyo had lucked out, Sakura having lost a lot of blood but not enough for Chiyo's own life to be in danger.

"Originally, I had meant this for you." Chiyo said.

"Did you think…that you could bring back the dead?"

"I am sorry, Sasori. I am sorry that you were raised by a woman as wretched and pathetic as I."

"Then I guess me being born and becoming like this is your punishment."

"Uh…shut up, you freak…"

Sakura got up, clearly fine if she could insult Sasori who she promptly slugged in his plaster face. He merely chuckled.

"Go right ahead, there are no nerves in me. I can't even remember what pain was like."

"Is that why you did it? So you wouldn't have to feel sympathy, feel pain, feel love, what kind of human kills their heart!?"

"A shinobi." He grinned blankly, his eyes a pair of hollow pits. "If you think I'm a monster, then you don't know anything. You wanna know how many bodies my Grandma over there has walked over to survive? Next to her I'm a bodhisattva."

"…What the hell are you?"

"Just someone who thought they could become something else. I couldn't become a true puppet and I left behind too much of me to be human anymore. I guess you summed it up nicely already: I'm a _freak_."

He wasn't using it as a pejorative. This was a man who had long accepted his nature: as a monster, a murderer. He didn't lie, he didn't twist facts, and he knew what he was. And that was terrifying.

"Listen, girl, you know Itachi's little brother, don't you?" Sasori asked.

"What did you say?"

"Orochimaru was my old partner before Deidara and Shuu. He ran off with something of value and I was tasked to get it back so I kept my eyes on him. I think it was about…three months ago I finally got it back. Anyway, the last time I heard from an informant, she said this: 'watch out for ROOT' and 'keep an eye on Uzushiogakure.'"

"What does that mean?"

"Don't know. Sasuke is still fine. But he's not the same boy you knew."

"I don't care, I'll bring him back. You don't break a girl's heart and get away with it!"

"Heh heh, to think a lovestruck idiot beat me. Congratulations…"

Sasori fell to the ground at least, his strings cut. Chiyo looked at him, the last memory of her son and his family.

"Sakura-chan! Chiyo-baasan!"

XXXXX

They got to a field where Gaara was lying. Neji was doing everything he could, but his Juuken wasn't primarily a healing technique.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "Maybe if we got to him sooner, but…dammit."

"Sakura-chan, can't you do anything?"

"I spent every drop I had in that fight back there. His heart's too weak."

"Shit, shit, shit, shit…." Naruto choked past hot tears.

Was this everything he was capable of? Three years and this was all he could do? Sasuke, and now Gaara. What the hell was the point of it all?

"Relax, Uzumaki…" Chiyo said.

"FUCK YOU! If you hadn't put that thing in him this wouldn't have happened! You were half-hoping we'd fail so you wouldn't have to deal with it anymore!"

"ENOUGH!" Kakashi spoke up. That was enough to make everyone stiffen. Kakashi sighed, looking like he put on a few years. "What's done is done."

"Not yet."

Chiyo had made too many mistakes. But she could correct one. Her palms glowed with chakra, more brilliant and beautiful than anyone had seen. There was no going back. But that was her price to pay.

"What the…?"

"Naruto, I might need your chakra since I don't got enough. Place your hands on top of mine."

Naruto was confused but complied. Uzumaki…now she remembered where she heard that name, she was thrown off because he was blond instead of a redhead. She remembered the tales of that name. And of a red-hot habanero.

XXXXX

_Oh my, it looks like our time is cut short_

Gaara felt those arms release him. What was going on? He thought he heard someone in the distance. But he didn't want to go. It was warm here, it felt good here. He wasn't hated, he wasn't feared, it was safe here. He wanted to stay.

"I-!"

A finger pressed to his lips. And he finally saw who the voice was, a woman with brown hair and the warmest cobalt eyes he had ever seen.

"No matter where you go or how many years may pass, I will always be with you. You _are _loved, not just by me."

"Are you…?"

She said nothing, giving him a kiss on the forehead to his tattoo.

"I love you, my little Gaara. Look, your friend is coming."

That was the first and last time he would ever see her. She faded, leaving him alone, but not for long as he felt a hand on his shoulder. And he saw another pair of blue eyes and a set of whisker marks.

XXXXX

He was in a field now, the stars out. He knew everyone's faces, whether it be the turtle-faced Lee, the milky-eyed Neji, or the foxily-grinning Naruto. They…they came for him?

"Welcome back." Naruto gave a thumbs up.

"I…I'm alive?"

"Yeah, and you have her to thank for it."

Naruto pointed to his pink-haired teammate. In her arms she was cradling an old woman. Gaara had heard all about her. For good and ill.

"Chiyo-baasama…"

"You should thank her when she wakes up."

"Naruto, she's _never_ waking up." Sakura managed to say painfully. "She gave everything she had for Gaara."

He looked to the woman. He knew who she was. He heard all about her from his captain and the elder. Her past as a poison expert, as a soldier, as a puppeteer, everything was known to him. He knew she sealed Shuukaku inside him. She truly did have an infamous reputation. But she was also a doctor who saved many lives and her puppets did much the same to those who learned to wield them. She was a shinobi of Suna, one who served far longer than she needed to.

"Let us pray that she finds happiness in the next life." Gaara bowed his head.


	11. Scroll 10

Scroll Ten: A Gentle Breeze

Shuu had barely managed to guard against the girl's attack back then. Luckily she still didn't get what his trick had been so there was no way she could anticipate him managing to parry it. Sure, the force of the impact still sent him flying and busted a few extra ribs, but it was far better than the alternative.

He thought about this as he lay on the bank of the river he had been blasted to, gazing as the sky went from blue, to orange, to starlit black. He let everything play out, realizing he'd be useless at that point and it was far easier to make the Leaf Nin believe he was dead for the moment. Eventually, he felt the atmosphere become a lot…cheerier.

"Shuu-san!" An orange, spiral-patterned mask with a single hole came into his view.

"I'm not dead, Tobi, I'm just hurt." Shuu said as he stood. He winced, his ribs bothering him. His chest was also cooked worse than yakiniku.

"Man, they musta been really strong to get you! I haven't seen you take a beating that bad since you ticked off Kinki-san! For a second I thought I'd have to get Zetsu-san out here to do cleanup."

"I thank you for not doing so. How are Master Sasori and Deidara?"

"Dead." Tobi showed Sasori's ring in his hand. "Maybe with this I can finally join Akatsuki."

"It's not that easy, Tobi."

"Well, a man can dream. I mean, Sasori-san's gonna be hard to replace."

"Just lead me to where Deidara or his body is."

"Mhfhrm, hm."

Shuu was wondering what that was and was met with a most peculiar sight: an armless Deidara approaching them with the remains of his right arm in his mouth. Shuu would have chuckled, but he didn't need to add insult to injury, though he supposed that the insult was already there.

"So, how was the Jinchuuriki?" Shuu asked. Deidara spat out his arm.

"Screw it, he wasn't worth it, hm. Pain-san better hope someone other than me finds that brat next time because I'll be too tempted to blow him to smithereens, hm."

"Much the same way with me." Shuu pointed to his scorched chest. "If I hadn't been trying to keep that Hyuuga boy alive I could have ended it in an instant."

"Wow, Deidara-san is having a bad day, isn't he?" That earned Tobi a glare from Deidara.

"Tobi, has no one told you the saying 'Buddha only shows his head three times' hm?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well I'm only showin' mine twice today!" Deidara said as he strangled Tobi with his legs. Shuu just walked away to retrieve all the weapons he used that day.

XXXXX

It had been a slow way back to Sunagakure. Nobody was in a rush to get back what with the struggles they had over the past week. Chiyo's funeral had been held the day after they returned and they stayed on a few more days to recover, Kakashi being especially wiped out due to liberal use of his Sharingan. It was the most exhausting mission nearly anyone in the group had been in.

Gaara had spent the last few days recovering. He'd been informed of the details of all the meetings that had been going on, but it whizzed by as so much white noise most of the time. He felt oddly detached after coming so close to death.

"Gaara, it's us." He heard his sister's voice from the door.

Both his siblings arrived, wheeling in a cart full of cuisine. Thankfully it was real food too. Another day of the menu the hospital had and he would have lost his mind. Temari set everything with Kankurou.

"Well, c'mon, it's going to get cold."

It was weird. They'd never been this close when Gaara was little. Even if they had been family, dinner was always a quiet, impersonal affair. Temari, she looked like a mother, scooping rice out of the cooker to give to them.

"Hey, Temari…" Gaara spoke.

"Yeah?"

"What was…Mother like?" His sister stopped mid-bite. Ever since that night with their uncle he'd never talked about her again.

"Well," Temari set aside her chopsticks. "I was really little when she died, but I do remember how sweet she was. I always wanted to be like her, but all she got out of me was an impetuous tomboy."

"Why are you asking, Gaara?" Kankurou set his chopsticks down.

"I…_felt_ her, I _saw_ her. I know I did."

"What? Did you go the other side for a bit?"

"Maybe. For awhile, when I was in the Akatsuki's hands, I felt like I was drifting away from myself."

"What…what did she say?" Kankurou asked, oddly meekly.

"Kazekage-sama!"

Gaara looked out the window of his quarters upon hearing that. In the courtyard below were a group of youths, some of them Gaara's age or a bit younger. He tilted his head, not sure of what to do.

"Hey, you're trespassing!" One of the guards yelled, the youngsters looking to run.

"Halt!"

Gaara's words made everyone stop in place, including the guard who didn't so much as put his foot down, looking like he was stopped mid-frame in a video. Gaara, feeling a lot more limber than before, dropped from the window, landing on a cloud of sand. The youths looked at him nervously, a few of the girls blushing in his presence.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Well…um…uh," A white-haired girl stumbled over her words, fidgeting with something wrapped in a cloth she had.

"It's alright, I'm not angry, just curious."

"Please accept this!"

She handed him the cloth-wrapped package. It was a homemade bentou, a bit sloppy, but he could tell the girl put a lot of effort into it. Another one, a young boy probably around half Gaara's age handed him a little doll. It was made in his image; it even had his tattoo written crudely. They gave him so many gifts; chocolates, cards, drawings, snacks, bentou, flowers, jewelry, clothes, they had given him a lot. All of this, for him, someone who had been thought of as a monster. He gave them a rare smile, making them grin and blush in return.

"Thank you, I'll cherish them. But, next time, I believe there are proper channels. I don't want you getting in trouble."

"Oh, of course, I guess we got a little ahead of ourselves."

The guard escorted the children out, all of them waving farewell to Gaara. He looked at the pile of things he now had to carry.

"Need a little help?" Temari grinned.

"Sure." Gaara said, remembering what his mother had told him

_You_ are_ loved…_

XXXXX

Naruto was in the Sunagakure Memorial Cemetery, standing in front of Chiyo's grave. He felt like an ass after treating her like crap with those outbursts. Now he'd never get a chance to apologize.

"If I known you'd do that, I never would have acted like a brat." He sighed.

"Hey, cut that out." Sakura gave him a jab to the arm. "You weren't wrong, okay?"

"I guess, but I didn't need to blow up at her."

"She was used to it." Temari said with her siblings close behind her. "I remember when I lost it the first time I saw her after Gaara was born. I said I hated her, that I wished she would die, and that I hoped she died alone. You know what she did after that?"

"What?"

"Patted her on the head and said that if Temari wanted to she could keep hitting her until she was satisfied." Kankurou chuckled. "I really wished I could have learned about puppetry from her. She always turned me down."

"Are you headed out already?" Gaara asked Naruto.

"Yeah, we can't stay here forever. Still, Chuunin exams are coming up, maybe we'll see each other soon."

"Oh yeah, you're still behind the curve." Neji grinned, amused that the boy who beat him was still a Genin.

"Hey, I'll get Granny to put me in and I'll set a new damn _record_ for the Chuunin exams."

"I'll be rooting for you."

Gaara extended his hand. Normally Naruto was awkward with this, but Gaara was insisting, his sand tugging at Naruto's arm. He grinned, returning Gaara's handshake.

"We'll see each other again, Naruto."

XXXXX

It had taken three days to get to Suna from Konoha. At this rate it was going to take double that time. Kakashi-sensei was still wiped out from the Sharingan, needing to have Guy lend him a shoulder.

"C'mon, are you guys old or just lazy?" Tenten frowned, her teacher and Kakashi-sensei lagging far behind.

"I told you, we could have stayed on for a few more days. Tsunade-sama wouldn't have minded if it was for your recovery."

"Nah, I need to get more used to fatigue. This stamina issue I have needs to be rectified."

"Do that on your own time."

"Hey, wait, what are you doing?"

"Not holding us up!"

"Gah, watch where you're touching!"

"Oh stop it, we're all adults here. Besides, this is your punishment for not winning the bet."

"I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!"

Reluctantly, the worn-out Kakashi was now being carried piggyback by Guy. Their students had reactions ranging from disgust, to laughter, to Lee clearly having the gears in his head turning. Guy gave them his trademark grin, almost seeing the glint off his teeth.

"See if you can keep up! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Guy became a mere spec on the horizon in seconds, kicking up more sand than a storm could.

"Neji!" Lee was imitating his master, offering his back to Neji.

"No." Neji backed away. Quickly.

"Then I'll go alone!" Lee said, chasing after his master.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at them. It really did feel like they were back to those days of Team Seven. Well, almost. Uzushiogakure…the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools, it was a place Sakura said Orochimaru was interested in. He had to go there. Even if it was just a slim chance, he had to go there. He wasn't going to give up. Like he said to Sakura, you don't make girls cry. He was going to find Sasuke, bring him back kicking and screaming if he had to, and make him beg for forgiveness from Sakura.

_I'm coming, Sasuke_


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

Chiaki sat bored at the border station. She had to admit, it was a comfy, stress-free job, but it was _so boring_. Why did anyone even care about keeping a border around the former Land of Whirlpools anyway? It was gone, extinct, practically wiped off the map due to all the ninja wars over the years. Nobody wanted to try to rebuild it and there wasn't anything noteworthy about its resources. It was just some island in the middle of nowhere. Sure, she supposed that the wildlife there was dangerous, but if there were people stupid enough to go into the place then best leave them to natural selection. There wasn't even a station on it except for a dock to land any boats. She couldn't remember the last time someone swung by.

She sat there at her desk, flipping through the local newspaper. Nothing major here or there, though there was going to be an autumn storm rolling through in a few days. That was going to be fun to live through out in the boonies.

"Hello!" Someone said from the front door.

Chiaki nearly fell over, losing balance on her seat from the shock of hearing a voice besides Kisuke's for the first time in hours. Waiting at the door was a man, his long, messy mane of fiery-red hair tied into a braid. One of his eyes was covered by a medical patch while the other was a brilliant purple. Save for his black tank top and boots, his entire attire was white. Around his right wrist was a rosary. Before Chiaki knew what was happening, he took her hands in his own, autumn-chilled ones with a big, smug grin on his face.

"Well, I never expected to see such a beautiful flower blooming so far away from civilization. I must say, you're easily in my top-gah!"

The man was interrupted from someone whacking him upside the head. His partner was, for lack of a more appropriate term, _magnificent_. A soft, pretty face unlike anything Chiaki had ever seen with long eyelashes framing deep pools of silver and fair, flawless skin. Atop his head of long and wild, but also lustrous platinum hair was a wide-brimmed black hat to match the duster jacket and blunt-toed boots he had on. At his hip was a katana in a white sheath, held by a slim, elegant hand with long, black fingernails with a matching hilt peeking over his right shoulder. And then he opened his mouth, shattering Chiaki's fantasy like glass.

"Sorry 'bout 'im, 'e's tryin' to set the world's record fer biggest dipshit." Chiaki was taken aback by the coarse tongue that did not fit the man's androgynous profile. Why did the prettiest ones always have some crippling flaw?

"Mura!"

"Shaddap, we're 'ere on business, not so you can go skirt-chasin', ya friggin' lech."

"Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"Which is whatcha did at the last three stops. Now quit screwin' around."

"Ugh, you're such a killjoy, you're gonna get wrinkles before your time." The redheaded man reached into a pack he had and took out a set of papers. "I'm on a request from Akikakuji for the retrieval of sacred artifacts and items from the temples of the Land of Whirlpools, specifically Uzushiogakure."

Chiaki looked over the documents. Sure, it had been awhile since she saw someone, but she still knew procedure. It definitely checked out, the man having taken months to get special permission from the proper authorities. One thing about the redheaded man made her jump though.

"You're a _monk_?" Now she knew why he had that rosary.

"We wonder 'ow just 'bout every goddamned day." Mura sighed.

"And you're his…?"

"My bodyguard."

"More like yer handler. If I weren't 'ere, itta taken ya a damned month to get yer happy li'l ass to yer destination."

Chiaki put the seal on everything, certifying their visit. They had permission to be in the place for a week and had clearance from customs to retrieve and leave with any artifacts they found. With that, she pointed them to the dock where Kisuke was waiting with the boat. They didn't need him along, Mura showing he had a proper license to handle it. They had to be back at the station by midnight of their final day.

The boat ride took about three hours to get to the shore. Mura had heard about the devastation wrought on the country due to its unfortunate crossroads position between three ninja villages, but this was apocalyptic. This wasn't a city or a country, this was a goddamned graveyard. Buildings toppled into the ground like tombstones, road ripped to pieces, houses smashed into the dust, it was terrifying. Now he clearly saw why no one tried to rebuild the country. When there was this much devastation, there was no way anyone would even want to look at it. To top it all off, there was the deafening silence. Even the lapping of the waves onto the shore seemed muted. He was starting to get chills up his back.

"Here for a week, eh Iga?" Mura brought a tobacco pipe to his lips and lit it, breathing in deeply. "Better make the most o' it."

"Yeah, hope we don't meet any ghosts."

"Don't fuckin' jinx us already."

The two men stepped towards the desolated city, though they didn't notice that they were being watched.

A pair of eerie, yellow eyes peered from one of the dilapidated buildings through a pair of binoculars. They watched intently, the two men moving up one of the ruined streets as they chatted. They didn't look like shinobi, especially the redhead. Still, he didn't like visitors.

"What do you think, Kabuto?" The man asked a young bespectacled, gray-haired man next to him.

"I must apologize, Orochimaru-sama. I should have kept an eye on any visas, but considering how few people go I didn't it was of any concern. I got sloppy."

"What should we do with them?"

"They're an x-factor, for sure. If I had a better idea of who they were, I could give a proper evaluation. However, if need be, I say we eliminate them the first chance we get. This is an isolated place and accidents happen _frequently_. There is a storm coming after all."

"And what about you, Sasuke?"

Orocihimaru looked to a boy with dark, spiky sitting in the corner. His red eyes flashed and his fair face was steely and cold. He scanned the two men below, meditating on his decision. He fiddled with a sword sheathed at the back of his hip.

"I say we follow them."

"Oh?" Orochimaru stroked his pale chin. "And why?"

"They might be after the same thing you are. They could lead us to someplace we didn't think of. You shouldn't get rid of something too quick. It could turn out to be useful."

Orochimaru smirked, cackling. Sasuke was actually becoming a bit more cunning. Orochimaru agreed and the three were off, tailing the new additions from a distance.

**To Be Continued**

**Nindo: Vortex**

**XXXXX**

Notes: For those wondering, the next arc is where things are REALLY going to start deviating from the source material in big ways.


	13. Vortex Prologue

Nindo: Vortex

Prologue

_It is said that Uzushiogakure was not originally a ninja village. Due to its fame for sealing techniques, many believe the denizens were descended from shrine maidens or priests. A correlation with this is its many temples and elaborate rituals. Sadly, with the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the subsequent scattering of its citizens, many of these techniques are now lost, forgotten in the shattered remains of a once beautiful village._

_On the Land of Whirlpools: The Lost Village and the Forgotten Country__ by Kikuchi Futarou_

XXXXX

This was becoming troublesome. Three years Orochimaru slaved away on mentoring Sasuke. Perhaps it was due to his natural talent as an Uchiha or maybe his thirst for vengeance, but he did learn quickly. He had no patience though. As soon as he was done just learning how to perform one technique he was demanding to know the next. Foolish boy would get himself burnt out at this rate.

Orochimaru had desired the boy's eyes, but he never asked to tolerate his personality. Always puffing his chest out, making demands, and deriding or ignoring his elders and betters, it did become insufferable after awhile. The most tolerable he was at was when he kept his mouth shut.

What was really irritating Orochimaru, however, was the problem with his arms. Even after nearly three years they showed no signs of recovering. They weren't as bad as before when they had literally been rotting, but they were still stiff and sluggish. Hand seals were a no-go in battle, Orochimaru not having the manual dexterity for them, especially the complex ones. For someone who wanted to learn everything he could, getting his hands back was necessary.

And there was no guarantee his arms would recover with the next jump to a body. To have Sasuke's Sharingan but not the ability to use techniques fully was unacceptable. No, he needed some way to restore his limbs, to get them back from that shinigami who severed them. It would postpone his plans for Sasuke again, but he could wait. After all, the impatient tended to die the quickest.

He spent months poring over books and scrolls, trying to find any inkling as to how he might get back what he lost. He had Kabuto do the same but with spy reports, classified documents, even newspapers could work. And then, one day, Orochimaru found a curious bit of info in a scroll at the very back of his archives.

"Shinigami mask…" He muttered, looking over a copy of the old text. Yes, that was the exact face he had seen that day. He would never forget it as long as he lived.

He studied more, learning about the mask and the technique. And then a name came up: Uzushiogakure. So that was where that old man learned it.

"Tch, if I had known that, I might have stuck around Konoha a little longer and kept an eye on that fiery little sow." That old man, even in death, found a way to spite him.

It was enlightening to learn about it, seeing just how intricate and unique the sealing techniques of Uzushio were. Far different than a typical ninja, they were always based around the spiral. If he remembered right, the theory was that the perfect spiral was essentially infinite, thus having the potential to bind a target or erect a barrier indefinitely.

Orochimaru spent hours poring over the mask's details. And then he learned why it was made. He had to grin, finally seeing the solution to his baneful problem. However, it came with a catch or two. And problematic ones at that.

Orochimaru sat there in his chambers, tapping his index finger against his desk as he mulled it over. He had to go to Uzushio. But the ceremony's effects would have dire consequences. He needed to find a way to circumvent it, but due to the remote location of Uzushio and the interesting circumstances of the ritual, he couldn't be idle there. Well….he could use _that_, but he was saving that for when the time was right. Though that time could be now, he still had to think about it.

A few months passed, Orochimaru having Kabuto and his spies keep an eye on the abandoned, destitute city. He had to make a decision, helped no further with his arms beginning to get worse and his current body showing signs of rejection. He felt sluggish and dull. His irritation wasn't helped when his old Akatsuki ring was taken back by Sasori. He would have fought for it, but he couldn't take Sasori in a fight as he was now, even one rigged to his advantage. Let him have the damn thing, Orochimaru thought. He spent years trying to figure out what made it so special and it was just a waste of time in the end.

Eventually, after months of thinking about it, Orochimaru finally made his decision.

"We're going to the Land of Whirlpools." He declared to Kabuto.

"As you wish. If it helps you get your arms back, it is most certainly worth it."

"We're bringing along Sasuke as well. And _that_." Orochimaru pointed to an especially thick scroll lying on a desk. Kabuto's eyes widened.

"Are you certain we should bring Sasuke? I mean, it's quite clear he plans to kill you the first chance he gets."

"Heh, I've still got too much to teach him. Besides, I think he'll be too interested in a little history lesson while he's there."

"You're taking quite a big gamble, sir."

"No one ever earned anything without taking a risk every now and again."

Sasuke, for all his grumpiness, complied without much trouble. The month before they left Kabuto staked everything out. The old city hadn't been visited in quite some time. And even if there were any surprises, they could be dealt with.

It was on a cool, autumn night when they managed to get into the city. Border patrol was no problem, the general consensus being that there was little point in keeping an eye on the city. No one was interested in it, not even Konoha despite the First Hokage's own wife coming from Uzushio. Of course, after finally seeing it, he was wondering if people thought the place was haunted.

Orochimaru had seen a _lot_ of terror and destruction wrought during the Second and Third Ninja Wars. It was easy to find entire towns and cities ripped apart. The ruins of Uzushio were very easy to put in that category.

He had never seen anything on this level, not even close. There were barely any buildings not damaged or toppled, torn to shreds in a manner more resembling a mutilated corpse than desecrated architecture. Nothing seemed to have a single pane of glass covering the windows and often walls had been destroyed, revealing everything inside.

Nature had begun to reclaim its territory with the roads being choked with plants, vines snaking their way up buildings, and grass being around knee-high in a lot of places. This place had been truly abandoned, left to nature and time. Just another ugly reminder of the wars that the Hidden Villages had instigated.

"Dear gods," Kabuto had always heard tales, but never saw anything of this magnitude "_this_ is what the Ninja Wars could do?"

"Heh heh heh, I'm actually getting _chills_. I can only imagine how much of a blood-soaked hellhole this place was when the actual wars were going on."

"You never went here?"

"No, I never took any interest. Some boring, remote island in the middle of nowhere was not to my taste. I guess I lacked perspective back then."

"If you're done with your stroll down memory lane, we could use our time for better things." Sasuke, so impatient.

"What's the rush?" Orochimaru grinned. "Or is it that you're so close to your home country that it unnerves you?

Sasuke didn't answer, instead just giving that glare he always had on. His Sharingan were activated constantly, clearly trying to get used to the chakra strain. Sasuke's eyes were difficult to read, Orochimaru not quite sure of what the boy was thinking. No matter, regardless of his intentions, Orochimaru was not going to be bested by a boy less than a third his age.

The three outlaws set out, searching for the temple that contained what Orochimaru sought.


	14. Vortex Scroll 1

Scroll 1: The Next Level

Naruto had promised to break records when he was in the Chuunin exams. He did, but not necessarily for excellence. The tests that year in Konoha had consisted of a stealth test (of which Naruto passed due to his clones creating a weird smoke screen and making it impossible to found out which one was actually Naruto), a retrieval exercise (Naruto got through that somehow on sheer, unadulterated brute force), and a guard mission (where it turned out that his years of pulling pranks made him the _perfect_ person to create elaborate, hazardous, and just plain goofy traps that even the instructors had difficulties finding).

At the end of it, though the examiners and proctors were very hesitant to do so, Tsunade awarded Naruto his vest on the sheer audacity he displayed. She had never seen someone pass a Chuunin exam in a manner resembling that. He was far too proud of himself when he heard it.

Team Seven met up at Ichiraku's for a big celebratory dinner. Iruka would be joining them shortly. Originally Naruto had humored the idea of bringing his entire graduating class, but Kakashi vetoed that immediately due to the budget. Besides, he wanted it to be the four of them.

"Gah, wish this came in another color." Naruto complained. He promised to wear it for his induction party, but he was hesitant to keep doing so after. "Green just looks so tacky and dull."

"Naruto, if you even _attempt _to think about painting that orange, I will slug you right into the next village." Sakura groaned. "It was bad enough seeing how you turned the final stage into a slapstick comedy, but now you're whining over fashion?"

"That was some of the most fun I've had with the exams in years." Kakashi chuckled. He, Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai couldn't help but lose it when Izumo and Kotetsu got bombarded with what could best be described as a rotten egg launcher and then watching three more Chuunin get assaulted by air horns. Poor men would be spending weeks shouting "WHAT!?" when people talked to them.

"Hey, at the end of the day, I passed and that's what matters, right?" Naruto grinned.

"But what did you_ learn_ is what really matters." Iruka ruffled his old student's spiky hair, taking a seat next to Kakashi. "Your performance was great, but if you just passed that would mean nothing."

"I have learned I probably shouldn't look at the guys who got hit by the rotten vegetables for the next few months."

"Well…I can't argue with that one."

The four gave cheers as the feast arrived. Matsutake soup, grilled sanma, sweet potato croquettes, tonkatsu, candied chestnuts, it all looked good. Naruto would have liked ramen to go with it, but he knew Kakashi and Iruka spent quite a bit for the occasion. Besides, even he couldn't eat ramen for every meal.

They had a great time. Naruto would occasionally make a cocky comment about how great he was, but they all let it slide. He had admittedly earned his rank, in his own unique way.

"Didn't you meet Guy-san for the first time during the Chuunin exams, Kakashi-san?" Iruka said around a bit of fish.

"Yeah, he wouldn't shut up after we fought. Never would have thought at the time he'd be so damned tenacious."

"What about you, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"It took me _forever_ to get through them. I think it was around four times until I finally made Chuunin. I was around your age when it happened."

"Ha! I beat you!"

"I also wasn't trained by one of the Sannin. Naruto, that vest is more than just a rank. Like how your forehead protector is meant to symbolize your graduation as a full-fledged ninja, the Chuunin vest is supposed to mean you're now qualified to be a leader. You're one step closer to being an adult now."

"Hey, I won't bring any shame to it if that's what you're thinking. I'm not planning on screwing up."

Iruka snorted at the thought of that. Even after three years Naruto hadn't really changed that much. He had gotten more cunning and maybe a little less mischievous, but he was still brash and charged in without thinking a lot of the time. His plans always relied on being able to be lucky as they could be brilliant or disastrous. You needed a little bit of crazy to survive in the more dangerous missions in the ninja world, but not too much crazy. Under those circumstances you either lived forever or were snuffed out in a flash. Hopefully Naruto would not become the latter.

Eventually Naruto got too stuffed to go on, bringing everything to an end. Sakura had to carry him home, far too languid for his own good after all that rich food. The four of them parted at a crossroads, Kakashi reminding them they had to be up for exercises at the training grounds. They were still working on Sakura and Naruto's nature manipulation.

Kakashi and Iruka parted ways when Kakashi was going to his own place. It was so weird; Naruto's birthday was only a few weeks away now. He was going to be sixteen. Wasn't even old enough to drink yet and he'd already faced obstacles and threats that most people wouldn't encounter their entire lives. Though, Kakashi wasn't one to talk, having been in the ANBU for several years by the time he was sixteen. In fact, he was already reporting directly to the Fourth at that point.

Sixteen; had Naruto ever had someone celebrate his birthday with him? Kakashi couldn't imagine it. He wanted to make sure he had a decent birthday for once, but couldn't think about what to get him.

As Kakashi was opening the gate of his house he noticed it wasn't locked and the lights were left on. He never did that.

Despite knowing no proper intruder would do something that stupid, Kakashi's body went into a tense stance anyway. Just as suspected, the front door was unlocked too, prompting Kakashi to open it slowly. He heard someone moving in his living room. He tip-toed towards the sound, his hand moving to his thigh where a kunai was sheathed. However, something came up behind him and bear-hugged him. And then blew into his ear.

"Why so tense, Hatake-san?" A feminine voice purred.

"Shizune…" Kakashi groaned. "You shouldn't be using clones for something like that."

"But you're so cute when you're serious." She pulled down his mask to give him a kiss. "Besides, if you don't want me sneaking in you shouldn't have given me a key."

She rattled her keychain as if to toy with Kakashi. A bunch of empty boxes were lying around, Shizune's clone having been sorting through them for the past hour she'd been here. With Kakashi here, she dispelled it. She picked up one of the cardboard boxes and set it near his couch.

Shizune couldn't help but want to keep things organized. The first time she had seen Kakashi's living room she'd nearly fainted. She then declared she wouldn't rest until everything was put in order. By the time that was done it was so late she just crashed on the couch. Not the best first date in the world, but Kakashi at least had the courtesy to make her breakfast the following morning.

"So, what were you doing that kept you so occupied?"

"We were having Naruto's promotion party. He was way too happy."

"I thought Tsunade-sama was going to have an aneurysm during the Chuunin exams. He wouldn't be Naruto without being unpredictable."

"Yeah, he certainly wouldn't be." Kakashi set aside the boxes Shizune insisted on messing with. "So, what are you really here for? Usually you jump me in the afternoon, not at night."

"This."

Shizune removed a black envelope from her kimono and handed it to Kakashi. He read over it, his single, lazy eye scanning everything. His attention darted back to Shizune when he was done.

"She's absolutely certain?"

"Yes, apparently people from Otogakure have been seen at the borders of the Land of Whirlpools. People fitting Orochimaru and Kabuto's descriptions have been reported as well."

So Sasori hadn't been bluffing about what he told Sakura. It was a curious place for Orochimaru to take interest in, not because of its destruction and that the entire city was abandoned now, but because there was once someone very dear to Kakashi who had come from there.

Shizune gave him a peck on the cheek and left, saying that even if she wanted to stay that Tsunade would no doubt be slacking if she wasn't around to keep an eye on her. Probably for the best too, Kakashi really didn't want to be around anyone after reading that and being reminded of old days.

Uzushio, it was where Kushina was from. He'd never been there himself hearing almost everything about it straight from her. She'd always go on about beautiful the city was, how its temples were unrivaled, how its clear waters sparkled in the summer, or how the caves underneath the islands had stunning rock formations. She never shut up about it, mostly because she missed it. She was young when it was abandoned, leaving her childhood nothing but a memory. It broke her heart.

Kakashi rummaged through the boxes again, trying to find it. He'd spent three days searching, but he knew it was in here. He needed to find it, even more now that he knew he was going to Uzushio. Minutes passed into hours, and by the time Kakashi finally managed to dig out what he had been looking for it was probably around midnight.

It was buried in a tiny photo album Kakashi kept, the only one he had before he finally started Team 7. The pictures were all worn due to neglect, appearing dull in some places. The one he wanted was in the back. There she was. She was as beautiful as he remembered her; soft violet eyes, a gentle face that hid that fiery spirit, and the long, crimson hair that plummeted down her back. Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's mother.

Kakashi was hoping Naruto and Sakura started their drills without him tomorrow. He was going to be late trying to find that place that could restore old photos.

XXXXX

Naruto was giving it everything he had to do his nature manipulation training. The training grounds had been turned into a complete mess with him and Sakura. It was never pristine, but now the landscape was a bit rearranged. Over the past week, Naruto had been testing out his skills whenever he could with techniques which tended to end with trees toppled or a big hole in the ground. Now with nature training that had gotten worse, especially when Sakura started getting better with her own elemental manipulation. There were entire sections in the grounds that were wrecked.

During his time with Jiraiya Naruto had done some elemental training, but not enough to get past the first hurdle after figuring out his nature type and finally managing to cut that leaf. Naruto was a bit disappointed too. He hoped to get something nice and flashy like fire or lightning. Heck, even water and earth manipulation were way more extravagant in their presentation. Then Kakashi asked Asuma to display to Naruto how wind manipulation had its perks by cutting a boulder in half and that was all Naruto needed. Now he just needed to cut a waterfall in half.

"Naruto, I think you can get out of there, you'll catch hypothermia if you're under there any longer!" Sakura yelled, sitting nearby with a tent and a portable space heater to help dry him.

"Bah, this crap is nothin' compared to the Land of Iron!" He grinned, trying his best to hide the fact that he was shivering under the deluge of water pouring over him.

"And it was a bad idea there too!"

Kakashi had given more pointers since the leaf. To really start making his techniques uniquely powerful, he needed to add nature manipulation to them like how Kakashi fused his lightning affinity to the Chidori to create the Raikiri. This was definitely on a different level than a lot of other exercises. Kakashi had allowed the use of clones to help speed things along, but no more than fifty at a time. Even with that limit the process would be immeasurably shortened. Still, doing this elemental recomposition was hard.

Naruto and his clones set their hands against the waterfall again, shoving as much of their chakra out as possible. The water gave way a little, but not enough to split it. He needed to stop the fall itself. Man, Sakura's training was a piece of cake by comparison; all she had to do was keep punching the earth.

"Yo, see you guys are hard at work!" Kakashi finally showed up. An hour late.

"Where the hell were you!?" Naruto disbanded his clones and hopped out of the frigid water and back onto dry land. Sakura threw him a towel to dry off.

"Sorry, I had to attend to something suddenly. Also, we might be getting on a new mission faster than I had anticipated." Kakashi showed a black envelope. "Sakura, I do believe I need to thank you for getting that info."

"You mean, Sasuke-kun?"

"Well, not Sasuke, but Orochimaru has been spotted around what used to be the Land of Whirlpools. I don't think I need to ask how you feel about it."

"Then what are ya waiting for, get yer butt to Granny and tell her we're going right in!"

"Well, first we need to check on your progress. Sakura, a demonstration."

She nodded and planted her fingers in the ground, concentrating hard. A small shockwave hit, reducing the earth into sand, though merely that around Sakura's hand. Even that much left her worn out. Kakashi nodded.

"Very good; you really need to make one big enough to sit down in before we can get into more advanced stuff."

"Wish I had Naruto's bottomless stamina."

"Speaking of which…"

Naruto was way ahead of his sensei, standing next to the waterfall with his clones and pressing his hands against the torrent. He gave everything he had, expelling his chakra into the waterfall. It rippled, it shook, but Naruto couldn't split it.

Only this much, Naruto thought. Yeah, Kakashi-sensei had said before that the leaf-cutting was supposed to take six months on average while Naruto did it in two weeks and this level of training was supposed to take about a year, but that wasn't the point. It still wasn't enough. He needed more, he needed to get stronger faster. He could see that next level, but he couldn't reach it yet.

"You're doing well. You should have this down in a month."

"…And when do we go on our mission?"

"Well, this is a bit special due to the Land of Whirlpools and its borders. If everything goes smoothly, it should take about a week."

"Then I need this done in a week."

"No." Kakashi said bluntly. "In fact, from this second forth, both of you are banned from elemental training."

"Sensei!" Sakura objected too. "We need to be better if our mission involves Sasuke-kun! What if the level we're at isn't enough?"

"Sakura, Sasuke is my student as much as he's your comrade. I get it. But killing yourselves won't help anything. You two are doing great, you're doing _amazing_, but you need to rest for now. If you're not properly rested then things could go sour really fast."

"So, nothing at all then?" Naruto groaned.

"Light training is still allowed to keep you on your toes. However, intensive stuff is off-limits. And to make sure you're not going against my orders, I've asked Shizune and Guy to keep an eye on the both of you."

"That little faith in us, eh?"

"One strike, you'll be watched at all times. Two strikes, you're under house arrest until we leave for Uzushio."

"I get it, I'll be a good boy until we leave."

Kakashi nodded and told the two of them to get cleaned up so they could meet with Tsunade.


	15. Vortex Scroll 2

Scroll 2: The Long Wait

Naruto had, begrudgingly, done as Kakashi had asked and took the past week to rest while they were preparing for their mission to Uzushiogakure. He hadn't been so anxious in his life. Unlike his other missions, Naruto never had to wait for them. It was always spur of the moment, receive it one moment and then hop onto it the next. The wait was killing him.

And it didn't help that he wasn't allowed to blow off steam in an appropriate manner. If he was training at least he would too exhausted to think. Lately he'd been lying awake at night, his mind wondering just what he was going to do when he met Sasuke or Orochimaru. That old freak, it sickened Naruto just to think of him. He wasn't childish enough to believe Orochimaru was fully responsible for Sasuke's decision, but he also knew that manipulative bastard was hoping for it.

What was he going to do though? He'd trained hard and had just dealt with someone around Orochimaru's level. He at least had a chance. It was small, but he had gotten stronger. Even without his elemental training complete he knew he could at least get some answers out of the bastard.

"_Heh, so you assist in taking out some shmuck and suddenly you think you're a big man? Grow a brain, kid_." The other reason Naruto didn't like waiting spoke up. He was wondering when he was going to hear from that stupid fox again.

"Shut up, I've changed. I'm not the same boy I was three years ago."

"_Oh? From what I saw you barely did anything last time. Most of the heavy lifting was from your sensei, the pink-haired wench, and the old hag. Just because you get a few pecks in doesn't mean you took down the prey._"

"Then I'll just have to make sure I participate in the main event. That's what my training is for."

"_You really are a stupid kid, wasting your time and devotion on some brat that abandoned you_."

"What would you know? Have you ever had a friend? Someone who was worth fighting for?" The fox didn't answer. Odd, he was always quick to refute Naruto with some nihilistic diatribe or sardonic quip. "Oi, did you fall asleep?"

"…_Just some words of advice, kid: don't go expecting things to get better. No matter how well things go, your life will never go back to how it was before he left_."

Naruto tossed and turned for about an hour before he finally got to sleep, wondering just what in the hell inspired that from his nine-tailed roommate.

XXXXX

"So, I hear you're going on another mission already."

Sakura had decided to kill time by swinging by the Yamanaka flower shop. Ino was in the greenhouse tending to some of the new breeds her father had been experimenting with. Despite it being in the middle of autumn, this place was as stuffy and humid as the tropics. The blond girl was darting around with her watering can and water spray. Her golden hair, even more voluminous and magnificent than it had been three years ago, was tied into a braid.

"Yeah, all we need is the permissions to go through and we're all set." Sakura crossed her arms and gave a sniff to the fragrant white lilies next to her.

"And…I heard it's about Sasuke." Ino's face turned dark.

"Orochimaru actually, but I take it you kept bugging Asuma-sensei?"

"Oh no, I would never do that. Though 'eavesdropping' is another story." The blond girl set down the watering can she'd been using and tossed her head. "Sakura, this is a bad idea."

"Hey, he's my teammate. It's my obligation to drag him back."

"But he's not just your teammate. He broke your heart, right?"

Yeah, he did. He might as well have taken Sakura's heart and crushed it in his hand. She poured out everything, her heart, her feelings, her very soul, and he still left. The day Naruto came back was the single worst in her entire life. And in a few days she'd be seeing the boy who did that.

"Sasuke broke my heart. And I'm gonna make him answer for it."

"Good god, you're still in love with him." Ino shook her head.

"You were too."

"_Was_, past tense, if I had copies of all of my pictures of him I'd burn them again." Ino insisted.

The sheer venom in Ino's tone sometimes made Sakura a bit chilly. Sasuke's popularity, logically, had taken a big plunge over the past few years. The Inuzuka, Nara, Akimichi, and Hyuuga clans in particular were _furious_ over what happened. Chouji's father had apparently even demanded the boy be placed in the Bingo Book with a kill-on-sight order. Tsunade managed to talk him out of it, but it wasn't easy. It still didn't stop a lot of graffiti showing up at the Uchiha estate to where Tsunade had to have guards around the place.

"I can't forgive what he did. Shikamaru was pretty banged up and Chouji could have _died_. All for him, all because he was their comrade. And he _still_ abandoned them; how can you give a guy who does that a second chance?"

"I know. But he's still my teammate. You can't just give up on someone, right? I know he left, but considering the emotional state he was in I can't blame him entirely."

"I can't approve of this. I just can't. Let somebody else take the risk. You shouldn't be the one having to face down some monster."

"You think I can't do it?"

"Damn straight. You're going to get hurt again."

Sakura grinned. Over the past three years she and Ino had gotten close again. This wasn't the first time they had gone over Sasuke in some manner or another. She was always trying to convince Sakura to move on, to get a better man, one who would treat her well and make her happy. Ino really could be a great friend and a sweetheart when she wanted to be. And Sakura loved her for that.

But she was in love. Not that puppy love she had when she was younger, not that shallow infatuation that went through the academy, she loved him. She wanted to help him, to heal those wounds he'd never let mend after the tragedy that befell his family. And to let him know just how much she felt again.

"Ino, I'm going." She stood firm. "If there's even the slightest chance I'll get to see him again, I'm going."

"That little prick doesn't deserve what you're doing for him." Ino admitted defeat. "Okay, I won't stop you, but promise me one thing."

"Go ahead." Ino placed her hands on Sakura's shoulders, gripping them tightly.

"When you finally see him, if he lays a finger on you, if he so much as _threatens_ you, you'll dump his ass. You deserve a good man, Sakura, you deserve to be happy. You don't have to put up with that." Sakura smiled, and locked pinkies with Ino.

"You got it. I may like him, but I don't plan on taking crap like a beaten housewife. First chance I get, I'm gonna kiss him with my fists. He's not getting anything else until he says he's sorry." Ino hugged her which Sakura returned.

"That's my girl. You go get 'em, and put in a few licks for me."

She was going to see him again. And when she did, she was going to make sure Sasuke knew just how _pissed_ she'd been for the last three years. Yeah, she loved him. And her love was going to _hurt_.

XXXXX

When Kakashi went to Tsunade's quarters in order to discuss the mission it was raining. He always hated autumn rains. They chilled to the bone, unlike when they came in the spring or summer. Despite carrying an umbrella it was unpleasant, his shoes getting soaked and occasionally a wind picking up to sprinkle him. Hopefully this would be over by the time they left Konoha.

Kakashi had plenty of time to be alone with his thoughts over the past week. Uzushio was on his mind in them at all times. It was not because of their mission, but because of Naruto. His own blood originated from there, his mother having been displaced long ago due to constant wars. It was like fate that they were going there. He had mulled it over a lot during the past week. All that was left was to talk to Tsunade about it.

For Kakashi, who never knew his mother, and for his teammates who were very similar, Kushina was the closest thing they ever had to one. If Kakashi were to compare her to anything, she'd be chai tea; fiery but also sweet. She was so damn passionate, but had a heart so big she probably had too much love to give. She'd always help them train, encouraging them through their struggles and was always honest. Heck, she'd even make them bentou to have picnics with.

He loved her, they all did. Probably even more than Kakashi, she wept for Obito and doubly for Rin. Even in his darkest times, even when Kakashi tried to be heartless and objective, she was always there, saying it was okay to cry.

And how did he repay her? He never told her own son about her, how beautiful she was, how kind she was, where they were from, their history, and their line, everything he deserved to know. He might as well have spat on her grave, her memory. He turned his back on Naruto and tried to pass it off as following orders. She would at least want her boy to know that she loved him before he was even born.

As Kakashi got to the main office it was late in the shift, a lot of staff switching out to go home or hit one of the bars or shops on their way back to blow off steam. He managed to wade his way through the sea of bodies that were getting out and head to the top floor. However, outside the door of Tsunade's office were two most eccentric visitors.

"Senpai!" Kakashi would recognize those black eyes anywhere.

"Tenzou, what are you doing here?" Kakashi shook his old ANBU junior's hand. It'd been far too long since they saw each other.

"Same reason you are. And it's 'Yamato' for the time being."

"Yeesh, can you at least update me whenever you get a new name? I think you've gone through enough to fill out a soccer team."

"This guy wouldn't shut up about you." Mitarashi Anko grinned, a dango stick in her mouth. "I think you got a bit of stalker, Kakashi."

"Why am I not surprised that you would be here?" Anything involving Orochimaru and Anko would willingly work overtime.

"Whodya think did all the legwork for you guys? My girls and boys have been working 'round the clock while your kids were messing around."

"Well, next chance I get, I'll be sure to treat you to something."

"No need, I'm already getting compensation."

Kakashi would ask, but unfortunately Anko had already opened the door into the office. Tsunade was looking haggard, the bags under eyes more prominent than ever. Typically Kakashi would chalk it up to the usual grind of paperwork, but then he saw the black folder in front of her. The three Jounin lined up in front of her as she started the briefing.

"The request and permits went off without a hitch." She began, Shizune handing another folder to Kakashi. "You've been allowed a week-long excursion into the Land of Whirlpools with the intent of confirming reports about the terrorist Orochimaru."

"What about a motive?"

"Some of my guys checked out why he would suddenly be skulking around the place." Anko threw away the dango stick she'd been using to pick her teeth. "According to some old records from back when the village was still around, we think his objective is the Uzumaki temples scattered around the island."

"Awfully strange places to be interested in."

"Well…there's a particular artifact he's eyeing: the Shinigami mask. You can use it to summon the Shinigami, the same one used the sealing curse that the Third used to gimp the old snake. If the ritual is done right, you free all the souls inside it, which would include that bastard's arms. It's last known location was in Uzushio at some temple called Godaiji."

That was a _horrifying _prospect. Orochimaru even crippled as he was proved to be a formidable foe, Kakashi hearing personally from Naruto about how deadly he was. When at full form he would be even worse.

"So, I take it my mission objectives have been updated."

"Yes, information about Uchiha Sasuke is a priority, but not the priority. With everything in your power, you are to prevent Orochimaru from restoring the use of his arms."

"Shouldn't this go to multiple teams then? We are dealing with a high-priority criminal and he'll no doubt have backup."

"Typically, but I do have faith in your abilities. Naruto and Sakura are more like Jounin in terms of fighting level and you've only gotten better."

"Plus ya got me." Anko smugly grinned.

Kakashi didn't know whether to be thankful or worried. He never doubted Anko's abilities in spite of her eccentricities, but in this case he might have to worry about her bloodlust. She was the go-to expert on Orochimaru aside from the other Sages, but she might be a little _too_ enthusiastic about the prospect of finally killing him. Still, a Special Jounin was a Special Jounin and it would make the workload easier.

Yamato would also be a great boon. During his days in the ANBU, Kakashi could find few people that matched him and none better than him. Maybe things wouldn't be so difficult after all.

"There is one big complication." Anko withdrew a map from her coat, unfolding it onto Tsunade's desk. "See the problem?"

"Yeah." Kakashi's eyes had discerned the entire map in an instant, analyzing all the different names of the temples. "So Godaiji is a hidden location, right?"

"Either that or it's under a different name. I never expected the hiding place of something so valuable to be out in the open, ."

"Is there anything else of note, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing regarding Orochimaru. A storm is apparently headed there, so be careful you don't get caught up in it."

"Well, in that case, there's something I'd like to request, but not regarding the mission."

"Well, in that case, I'll be on my way." Anko gave a curt wave as she went for the door. "Remember, two days from now bright and early."

"I got it."

"Senpai, if it's alright, I can wait outside."

"Sorry Yamato, but I'll make sure to swing by tomorrow. I wanna know all about what my kouhai's been up to."

"I'm gonna hold ya to that." Yamato sighed, leaving Kakashi with Tsunade.

They were finally alone now. Though Anko and Yamato were irrelevant either way, Kakashi preferred he do this in private. After all, Tsunade also knew Kushina, practically everyone did. They had met, and they had even liked each other, hardly a surprise considering their similar personalities.

"So," Tsunade started, getting out her emergency sake bottle she kept close by in case she was too impatient to go down the hall "what's so important we need to do this in isolation?"

"Naruto's going to be sixteen soon."

"I know, Jiraiya even left me with a birthday present in case he's not around to give it to him. What's so important?"

He wasn't sure if she was being coy or actually ignorant. In any case, Kakashi had to voice the thought that had been stewing inside of him for the past week. The secret that he had kept ever since he saw that boy's surname and was ordered not to say anything.

"I want to tell Naruto about where he came from."

Tsunade, for the first time in her life, actually delayed in sipping from her sake dish and stared blankly. She set it down, Kakashi's statement managing to divert her attention from booze.

"Are you sure? Do you _really_ want to tell that boy everything?"

"Uzumaki and Uzushio are as synonymous as you can get. There is no avoiding it, he's going to be asking questions, and he'll want to know. And Kushina, wherever she is, would want him to know."

Tsunade sighed, slumping in her chair. He could see her mulling it over. It was a little known fact to those who did not live before the Fourth's death, but Tsunade herself was also of the Uzumaki, her own grandmother being from Uzushio. Though distant, she and Naruto shared blood. She had even met Kushina before, the two of them getting along swimmingly despite their strong personalities.

Kakashi, from the moment he saw Naruto, was astounded by the boy. It almost floored him how much he saw of his parents. How much he looked like his father, how much he acted like his mother, it was like seeing ghosts brought before him. And the Third never let him say anything about it. It had to end. No one should have their origin left unknown.

"Are you going to tell him everything?" Tsunade asked.

"Not at first. I'm not gonna tell him the _big_ one, but he at least should know where he came from."

"You always did have a soft spot for Kushina. Alright, if asked, you can talk about it. Technically it was never an official order, but I think it's time we lifted the silence. It's what the Fourth wanted." Kakashi bowed in response to her.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

He stepped out. By the time he got to the front door of the building, he felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. All those years he spent being quiet, he could finally end the silence. Even if it was a little, Naruto could at least know what his name meant. Someone rapped Kakashi's shoulder. Turning around he saw his lovely Shizune.

"I forgot my umbrella." She said, nuzzling up to Kakashi.

"My place isn't too far out of the way, I'll drop you off. After all, what kinda gentleman would I be if I didn't properly escort a lady?"

"More like I'm escorting you. You've been awfully mopey the last few days." She took his arm, getting as close as she could under the limited cover of the umbrella.

"Sorry, I guess Uzushio has brought up a lot of bad memories. Every time I see that kid, I think of how much I didn't do despite her doing so much for me."

"But you're doing it now."

"And I didn't do it sooner. I had chance after chance and I kept my mouth shut."

"And you're finally opening it." Shizune stopped him, cupping his face in her hands. "Stop it, stop wallowing in that misery. She loved you. And she would forgive you."

"I could have done _so much more_ for them."

"And you will."

She slid his mask down, her lips meeting his. He didn't deserve her, he didn't deserve this. Obito, Rin, Kushina, Sensei, they were all far better people than he was, more worthy of joy and happiness. And yet he was the one who survived, the one who lived. Why him and not them? Why was a worthless piece of trash like him alive?

But Shizune…she was so warm. He wanted her so badly that it hurt. Was this them telling him it was okay? That maybe, just maybe, he could start to allow himself a little happiness? When Shizune broke their coupling, she whispered into his ear.

"How about…you don't go home tonight?"

XXXXX

Naruto was more than ready for the trip. The second he got the word he started double and triple-checking everything he was bringing along. He would do a bit of training to warm himself up, but he decided to wait. He knew if he started he probably wouldn't stop and would burn himself out before he even got into the place. He needed to be at his best.

It was very early in the morning the day they went to leave, the sun barely being up and the autumn air crisp and dry. Naruto's breath came out as hot steam like off a bowl of ramen. The sun was just starting to hit the Hokage Monument as he left. The Fourth's visage was wreathed in shadow.

"Well, you're up early!" Kakashi wasn't tardy for once, though maybe that had to do with his friend next to him. "I thought I'd have to knock the door down to wake you."

"Hey, I wouldn't screw this up for the world."

"Just as spunky as you told me, Senpai." The man next to Kakashi extended his hand. "Yamato, I've been assigned to Team Seven for the indefinite future."

"Well, guess your tenure's gonna be short. One mission sounds like drawing the short stick." Nevertheless, Naruto shook his hand.

Sakura was already at the gate with Anko. The two women were chatting by the time Naruto's group got there.

"C'mon boys, it's a day out to the harbor!" Anko might have been even more energetic than Naruto

"Hey, I'll race ya if I have to!" Naruto was already doing stretches.

"Ha! I'd like to you try, kid. Don't go acting like you're hot shit just because of those stunts you pulled during the exams."

"Anko, I recall you were actually laughing along with the rest of us at Naruto's antics."

"I never said they weren't fun." Anko adjusted her overcoat, the chilly breeze of autumn a bit too nippy for her tastes. "I called the border office yesterday and they said they'll have the boats ready by the time we get there."

"Good, any noticeable updates on arrivals?" Yamato asked.

"Not the last time I checked with my contacts which was last night. Hardly anyone goes there so any sort of guests would be noteworthy. Though according to spies from the border, there were reports of a big freaking snake swimming towards the country."

"Sounds like our man."

"Definitely. C'mon, it's a day out to the boat and we're wasting time talking!" Naruto was practically jumping up and down. He was a morning person for today at least.

Anko was the first to get moving, Naruto right behind her. However, before he could try to overshoot Anko's own enthusiastic stride, he felt Kakashi's hand grab him by the sleeve. He signaled for Yamato and Sakura to go on ahead.

"Sensei?" Kakashi's eyes looked oddly sullen, Naruto almost seeing the debate going on in Kakashi's head.

"It's going to be a long trip, so I thought we could talk."

"About what?"

"Truth be told, I've been lying to you for a long time now. My assignment to you wasn't a coincidence and it'd be wrong to keep lying. Like Iruka said, you're one step closer to becoming an adult, so it's time I started treating you like one."

"O…kay, I'm not sure where you're going with this."

"You've always wondered about where you came from, right? Your name, your parents, anything regarding your lineage."

"Well, yeah, I didn't just pop out of thin air."

"Well, we're going right to the source in a way."

"Are you…?" Naruto was a bit ditzy, but he was no fool. He'd already come to the conclusion, but Kakashi finished the thought for him.

"You'll be the first Uzumaki to walk though the Land of the Whirlpools in decades. So, I guess this is a homecoming of sorts for you. C'mon, we got a lot to talk about."

XXXXX

Day broke in Uzushio, orange rays of light stretching across the long-abandoned village. Perhaps it was just due to the effort need to repopulate it, or that it was too grim a monument to the mistakes of the past, but even after decades the place was untouched, left to the passage of time and the unforgiving elements. However, just because it was forgotten did not mean that it was uninhabited.

Over in the outskirts of the village, just barely entering its limits, was a small house, about enough for a small family. A figure clad in a black duster coat with white sleeves walked around the building, their face so beautiful that man and woman alike would turn their heads at it. A wide-brimmed black hat topped their head with long, wild, platinum hair spilling down to their waist. They shoved aside the ruined shouji that had been propped up the night before in order to stave off the chill winds that blew through during the night, the morning mist seeping into the old house.

On the floor was a man lying on his side, his red-topped head resting on a rolled up sleeping pack. With utter disregard for manners and etiquette, the redheaded man was woken from his slumber by his companion shoving their boot right into his ribcage.

"Guuuh….five more minutes, Mura." The man said, perhaps even unconsciously.

"Oi, yer the one who told me to wake yer ass up at the crack o' dawn, so don't get pissy when I do whatcha asked me." Mura's voice was unusually gravelly and low, not matching his androgynous face at all.

"Alright, alright, I brought this on myself." Iga forced himself up, popping his neck. His single, uncovered eye blinked open, its purple hue visible in the low light. "Anything happen that I should know about?"

"No, besides the fact that this is one fuckin' creepy, glorified graveyard." Mura was taking out his pipe, getting his first dose of the day. Iga never saw his associate without that thing for more than an hour.

"Well, we got a long day ahead of us." Iga was already getting his equipment loaded. "We got thirty-five shrines and temples to examine and we only through three of them last night."

It took them all of three minutes to gather everything and be out the door. Mura gazed at the old, abandoned city, its dilapidated, weatherworn buildings almost standing like tombstones. This place gave him a chill up his spine ever since he got here, unnerving him to know end. He'd seen a lot of places affected by war or death, but even this place was unnerving him. The hairs on the back of his slender, elegant neck stood back, causing him to shudder from the discomfort it brought to him.

"C'mon Mura, stop zoning out!" Iga was already headed down the road with the enthusiasm one reserved when headed to a one-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Slow down, dammit, I'm yer damn bodyguard!" He rushed to catch up with Iga who was moving far too fast for a man who had just woken up.

The two men went further into the ruined village, unknowingly followed by a figure who kept a distance, watching and waiting.


	16. Vortex Scroll 3

Scroll 3: The Clan of the Spiral

Mura had always heard tales of Uzushio back home despite being at the complete other end of the continent in regards to the ancient ninja village. Whether it was from the old man, his ma, or Iga, the village's repute never escaped him. By the time he was born, however, the village had been long gone, razed to the ground from unfortunately being a crossroads in constant wars. He'd always been meaning to pay a visit here, but could never find a proper reason to go beyond curiosity. And lo and behold, it would be Iga's curiosity that ended up being the reason.

Iga had barged in as was his usual agenda, going on at length about how he finally got all the paperwork through for his extended expedition to Uzushio and how he was going to scour the place for artifacts and long-forgotten secrets. He always did this. And Mura always got dragged along, if just because he couldn't let that idiot waste his time hitting on everything with a pair of tits the entire way there.

The air was cool and unforgiving, stray breezes blowing everywhere and making Mura grab his hat to keep it from blowing away. Even though a storm was inevitably hours away the telltale signs were already here, a precursor to the main show. It was gonna be one hell of an eventful night, thought Mura.

Mura brushed his feathery bangs out of his face, taking in the sheer gravity of Uzushio's scenery. He had gotten a view last night, but in the daylight it was even more apparent just how bad this place got hit. Did it ever get a chance to recover from any war? Was there any moment where it wasn't collateral damage from the actions of other countries? It was depressing being here.

"Hmmm." Iga stopped in front of the entrance to a shrine, the torii still bright red like it had been painted yesterday.

"The hell ya doin'?"

"I got a funny feeling."

Iga picked up a rock on the side of the ruined pathway overrun with grass and weeds. He tossed the rock towards the torii only for it to bounce right back toward him, Iga barely managing to evade it. A barrier, and a really powerful one at that, was surrounding the shrine, but nobody ever put those around just to keep burglars out of their dressers. That was another thing Iga talked Mura's ear off about on their way here: the village's specialty of barriers.

That was just plain bizarre, at least for a hidden village. Martial arts, ninjutsu, illusions, all of those were things that people, clans, and whole villages would brag about until the end of time. Barriers and seals, that was so mundane. Useful as hell, all considered, Mura having been at the receiving end of them many times in the past. All it took was a simple wall to derail a plan.

"Y'know, if this place was important enough to put a king-sized cockblock around it, then why the hell didn't they come back to get their shit?"

"You know how it is, Mura, people have to leave things behind when they can't weather the storm. They leave, thinking they can lock everything up and return to it later."

"'Cept there either ain't nothin' to return to, or they just don't bother. This whole place is one damned sad memory."

"Yeah, there were lot of good people lost here and a lot of valuable knowledge as well." Iga examined the barrier, trying to size it up. Mura could see him going over all the calculations in his head. "Hmmm, four-layered, triple synced, with an alternating rhythm."

"So nothin' fer the Safecracker, right?"

"Well of course."

With barriers you either needed to know the key to get in or be so strong that it was irrelevant, though the amount of chakra needed to wreck a barrier was so much that often the person having done so would be too exhausted to do anything else. Iga, though, thought as highly of the condensed, multi-layered walls of chakra before him as he would a wet tissue. He wrote something on a slip of paper and placed it on the barrier itself. Within seconds it crumbled, disintegrating like sugar doused in water.

"Well, 'least ya take this seriously."

"Hey, gimme some credit, I earned my rep."

"Well, time to see if another treasure chest is actually full 'r not."

The shrines and temples from last night had been busts, mostly having a bunch of riff-raff that wasn't out of place or unique. Iga took them anyway, stuffing them into one of the many scrolls he brought along in order to transport them. However, none of those places had a barrier of this magnitude guarding them.

When Mura stepped through the threshold it was like he was entering a place where time had stood still. The barrier, presumably, had been a perfect cube surrounding the entire grounds. He could see where the grass had been divided up until a minute ago, separating the outside world from the inside. The cobblestones were in immaculate condition and the shrine itself was standing in as pristine of condition as a little bleaching from the sun would allow. Barriers, they were definitely not as exciting or flashy to use as other methods using chakra, but they were in the end invaluable.

"Excuse us." Iga said to no one as he slid open ancient shouji doors that hadn't had visitors in decades.

"Tch, the outside is fine but these folks coulda done something else with the décor."

Mura had been expecting Bodhisattvas when he stepped through the threshold. The hall was brightly lit, allowing him a full view of the main attraction in the fore. Instead of deities or even just famous priests or people there were statues of animals. On the western side of the room was a bronze effigy of a dragon coiling into the heavens. It wouldn't be anything intriguing were it not for its tail forking in two. To the east was an ape roaring like mad with four tails whipping around it. And at the fore, far larger than the other two, was one of a fox, its nine tails curled around it as it slept.

"And I thought people only did this up north." Mura examined the eerie recreation of the Nine-tails, even its whiskers having been given immaculate detail.

"Uzushio was kind of an oddball among the villages from what I heard from Sensei, the old men, and others." Iga was already running about, looking the strip the place of anything of value. "When most people see something capable of destruction and disaster, they tend to fear it. But others choose to revere it."

"Like tryin' to appease a wolf by stickin' an offering in front o' the dean? Seriously, did they think if they just acted politely they wouldn't get squashed by one of them?"

"Have you ever heard of Uzushio being attacked by a Tailed Beast?" Try as he might, Mura was drawing a total blank.

"Good point." Iga won that one.

Iga was like a damned machine, sifting through the entirety of the archives in the shrine and scouring every nook and cranny for anything that could be of remote value. Like a kid in a candy store he ran from one end to the other with a purpose. Mura could barely make hide or hair of anything. He'd seen plenty from Iga's temple, but that didn't mean he knew what the hell it meant. Or that he cared. Seen one scroll or holy text, seen them all, as far as Mura was concerned. Still, Iga wouldn't shut up until Mura contributed by stripping the place clean with him. Of course he would be turned into Iga's manservant for the trip. He made a mental note on Iga's increasingly lengthy tab.

It took short of an hour for the two of them to get through the place. By the time they were done the shrine had been completely looted. Shelves that had contained dozens if not hundreds of scrolls and texts were completely barren and anything of value that wasn't nailed down was taken, Iga stuffing them into those scrolls he brought with him. It would only be the first of many.

Those bronze eyes of the fox statue stared at Mura, almost like the edifice was a part of the legendary beast. It was a bit annoying, even if it was just a hunk of metal shaped into the image of it.

"Something up?" Iga tapped Mura on the shoulder.

"I'm just wonderin' if they thought the Beasts were gonna return the favor. Did they think if they worshipped them, admonished them that they'd smite their enemies 'r protect 'em if shit went south?"

"Maybe. That's what a lot of people used to think the Tailed Beasts were. When you get down to it, they're pretty godly."

"And yet the thing these guys shoulda been afraid of was people."

"Are you saying faith isn't rewarded?"

"More like don't count on someone to bail yer ass out." Mura turned on his heel and went out the door. Iga merely looked at the three statues in the room, and offered them a silent prayer.

"If I can, I'll come for you next."

XXXXX

"Uzumaki, the Clan of the Spiral."

It had been only a couple hours since Naruto's team had set off to Uzushio, barreling down the main road as fast as they could get away with. Kakashi, not wanting to waste time and needing to get everything about Naruto's past off his chest, discussed everything about the Uzumaki Clan on the way. They lagged behind a bit, Sakura, Yamato, and Anko affording them as much privacy as they could, considering the circumstances.

It was so surreal, hearing years' worth of history told to him by his teacher. Kakashi told him about how Uzushio and Konoha were tightly knit, almost to the point of the Land of Whirlpools being a part of the Land of Fire. He told Naruto that his name was something to be proud of, an ancient name almost as old as ninjutsu and shinobi. And through all of it Naruto listened in silence as they made their way down the road, his attention on Kakashi undividedly. He learned more about his clan in a few hours then he had his entire life. It was only when they took a break that Naruto finally raised his voice and asked Kakashi something.

"Sensei, why didn't you say anything before now?" They were out a ways, again trying to keep things as private as they could. Kakashi set down his canteen.

"I wanted to, but things just kept popping up in my mind. 'Is he ready', 'Will he believe me', and…"

"What?"

"I was also wondering just how hard you were going to hit me."

"Hey, I ain't that petty. It's just…every time I asked that old geezer Hokage about my parents he always refused to tell me even what their names were."

"Sorry, a lot of stuff about your clan was hidden by the old timers for one arbitrary reason or another. I think they believed they were protecting you."

"Or what's inside me."

"Well… that too." Kakashi chuckled weakly. He never found the elders' decisions to be the best or even the most pragmatic. He was just plain baffled by the attitude they held towards the boy holding the Nine Tails. At least they didn't hand him off to Root. That would have been a disaster in record time.

"So, I don't get any fancy tricks or techniques, do I?" Of course Naruto would be asking about flashy stuff.

"Not that I'm aware of. The Uzumaki didn't have anything like a Kekkei Genkai. Furthermore, they specialized in barriers and sealing techniques."

"Well, I can see already why that wouldn't suit me."

"Though one of which includes that seal on you right now. I believe Chiyo told you about a clan who devised a technique to seal the Tailed Beasts."

If it had held up this long then I should stuff any wiseass remarks, Naruto thought. Still, the clan was one thing. If it was anything like the Uchiha or the Hyuuga it was probably so enormous that having the name wasn't that big a deal in Uzushio. No, what Naruto really wanted to know wasn't about his name per say, but who gave him that name.

"Sensei, how do you know so much about my clan? You didn't…"

"I always knew you weren't stupid, just lazy." Yeah, Kakashi definitely had that answer. "Truth be told, if things had turned out differently, if the Nine Tails hadn't wreaked havoc in Konoha that day, you might have seen me so much you would have gotten sick of me."

"You knew my parents." That was the signal for a switch to flip in Naruto's head and for things to go into overdrive. "What were they like, how'd they meet, how'd you know them?"

"Whoa, slow down there, we got plenty of time. Yes, I knew your parents. Your mother is where you got your name from. She was born in Uzushio but left due to all the wars, barely a kid by the time she was a refugee in Konoha."

"What was…what was she like?

Kakashi thought, sifting through every memory he had of her, trying to encapsulate her in as few words as possible. However, now that he thought of it, the perfect way to describe her was right in front of him.

"Exactly like you," He grinned. "The second you dropped that eraser on my head I knew you were her kid. It was like seeing a ghost."

"So I guess having her around wouldn't have mellowed me out or whatever."

"Probably. She was less rambunctious by the time I met her, but she still had that glint in her eye." Kakashi sighed, all those old memories flooding into his head. While he tended to dwell on the past, he disliked reminiscing, but not today. "I miss her. I wish she could see you now."

"She'd probably be whacking me upside the head for how I turned out."

"She would be proud."

"And my dad?"

Nothing came from Kakashi, his lips sealed tightly. That one, even more so than the Uzumaki Clan, or Kushina, was something Kakashi hesitated to say anything about. He wasn't anxious, he was outright terrified of what Naruto would do if he told him.

"Senpai?" Yamato interrupted. Kakashi must have been out of it if he let his junior sneak up on him like that.

"Sorry, I guess we lost track of time."

"I was starting to think something had happened. Sakura, Anko, and I were set to move five minutes ago."

"Alright, alright, we get the point." Naruto was already making his way back to camp. Yamato looked at his back and then to Kakashi.

"What?" The lazy-eyed Jounin asked.

"He's going figure it out sooner or later. You've gone this far so you might as well tell him everything."

"I could, but the question is if I should. Kushina is one thing, but his father…"

"He didn't have a shameful man as a father."

"I know that better than anyone."

"But…?" Yamato added the segue Kakashi had left unsaid.

"I'm afraid if I tell him, he'll _hate_ his father."

"If he hates him then that's that." Yamato shrugged and turned on his heel. "But I will say piling on anxiety before the mission isn't advised. You've distracted him enough as is."

"This is something I couldn't avoid considering the place we're going. I've had enough of acting like if we keep ignoring Uzushio that it'll go away."

"I do wish you'd keep your focus on Orochimaru and the mission. Sentimentality has its place and it isn't here."

"Still got some of that training from Root hanging about, eh?"

"I'm saying if you don't want Kushina-san's birthplace to be the site of Orochimaru's revival then we'd best keep focused. If we do this right, nothing has to be lost."

Kakashi, could agree to that, if nothing else.


	17. Vortex Scroll 4

Scroll 4: Hidden Treasure

The day had gone by pretty quickly for the pair. They managed to go through six shrines pretty quickly and worked their way further into the forested hills outside of the village proper. With the way Iga was going through them, he'd had every shrine on the island stripped before they had to leave.

It was late in the afternoon now, the sun beginning to fall but hadn't quite reached the horizon. Everything was tinged in deep orange that was nearing red. The next shrine was a ways off, being just over the midway point of the forest. The walk was pretty tedious, the pathways only getting more tangled and choked by foliage the further they went in. It was almost like the place was alive.

Mura was looking at a map as he strode behind Iga. It wasn't the one detailing the island itself, but instead a panned-out one of the surrounding borders. Something had been bothering Mura since he'd been examining Uzushio. While he was correct in saying that men were responsible for the country's destruction and abandonment, it was precisely that reason that bothered him. The proceeding map only helped to make him understand why.

It didn't make any sense. Mura's Ma used to tell him that Uzushio had gotten messed up because of being a crossroad between different countries, but that was only true if one put aside the kilometers between all of them. To be honest, Uzushio was not in a great strategic position. For anyone not from the Land of Fire it was really out of the way. There were two countries in the immediate vicinity and the Land of Hot Water never had a history of aggression. And there was the fact that even if one did take control of the island it they would be in a location that wasn't easy to fortify or hold. No, this wasn't the sign of a country being collateral damage like the Land of Rain was.

"Oi, Iga."

"What is it? It's long way to the next shrine so we shouldn't be wasting time chatting."

"I was just thinkin' how none o' what you said about this place gettin' jacked sideways makes any damn sense."

"Oh? How so?"

"C'mon, you're an adult, you prolly noticed but just swept it under the rug 'cuz ya wrote it off as fuckin' unusual.

"What are you saying?"

"Iga, can you think o' any reason that this place was attacked intentionally?"

Bingo, thought Mura as Iga stopped in mid-stride. When he turned around his face wasn't relaxed, but grim. Another problem of Iga's: he always left out certain details if he knew they'd overcomplicate things.

"It was about this time last year." He began. Mura didn't bother to interrupt, know Iga would get to the point. "I was up at Fuyukakuji giving some seminars to the newbies. Typical boring stuff expected of my position. Then in walked Sensei."

"Hoo-boy." Mura lit his pipe. This was gonna be a good one.

"Wasn't what you think. In fact, he came on business." Iga withdrew something from the pocket on the inside of his jacket. "He showed me this."

Transcribed on the notebook he handed Mura was a symbol. He'd been around Iga long enough to know a seal when he saw one. And what a seal it was. He'd never seen anything like it, It was…weird, oddly crude and lacking in the complexity of other seals.

"The hell…?"

"That is currently keeping a Tailed Beast sealed." Mura actually had to catch his pipe from his jaw going a bit slack. "Inside a person, no less."

"What kinda fuckin' retard does that?" Mura sighed in relief that not one leaf of tobacco was lost.

"The people from this village." Okay, Mura now felt like an ass. "From what Sensei and I studied, every technique used for a Tailed Beast can trace its roots back to here. Some are different than others, but they share a common ancestor. That's the only one that was unmodified from its origins, at least from what I could find."

"So you came here to get your hands on more reference material." Sneaky bastard, thought Mura. "Ya shoulda been a conman bastard instead of a monk."

"Yes, Sensei wanted me to examine the seal, maybe find a way to reinforce or fix it. However, then that made me wonder: why would Uzushio do that in the first place? Why would they try to contain the Tailed Beasts?"

Thunder rolled across the sky, alerting Mura and Iga to the sudden shift in the weather. They'd finish the conversation later, focusing on just getting to shelter for now. They probably had half an hour until the really bad stuff hit, but they had to haul ass regardless if they didn't want to get soaked. They both ran down the path, deeper into a forest.

XXXXX

Sakura's team had gotten to the nearest town a little before the storm clouds rolled in, gray with rain they'd undoubtedly be dropping on their heads in due time. They wouldn't be getting any further tonight, the border office being closed and the storm would have made getting to the island difficult anyway. She didn't mind, realizing it would be the last night she'd be spending in a nice bed under a roof instead of outside on her sleeping bag for awhile.

She was nervous. As much as she tried to believe she'd matured over the past three years she still had butterflies in her gut and they wouldn't calm down. She wasn't sure if it was from the thought of Sasuke or it was from the fact that Orochimaru was definitely on the island. She'd only seen him that one time in the Forest of Death during the Chuunin exams, but the dread he'd imprinted on her was still in full force. She hoped she wouldn't have to fight him. Against Sasori she had Chiyo helping her and Deidara and Shuu had been collaborative efforts as well. She had her team with her, so she shouldn't be anxious, but even she was still on edge. Deciding she needed to relax, she went to the indoor hot spring they had in the hotel.

It'd been awhile since she had gone to one of these. She would have preferred an open-air one, but this would do nicely. There were a few other women that were on their way out, mostly people passing through the town like they were. She sat down next to the shower heads and began scrubbing her body.

"Looks like we had the same idea." Anko took a seat next to her, rubbing shampoo into her hair.

"When you know it's the last time you'll be getting something, you want to savor it."

"Amen to that. I remember one time me and some Chuunin were stuck out doing recon work. Spent a whole damn week without a proper bath."

"Yech, I hope we don't have to suffer through that."

"Pray you never do."

They moved into the bath next, the hot, mineral-rich water helping to ease her aching muscles. Man, that thought made her sound like an old woman whining about her arthritis. Still, it was helping her relax. The butterflies were gone at the very least.

The storm outside was going into full swing now, thunder rumbling and roaring while raindrops fell heavily onto the roof. Anko glanced at the roof.

"Always so damn ominous." She said.

"It should let up by morning, so we don't have to worry about it."

"It's not about that. It's almost like that graveyard is telling us to stay away."

"Why doesn't anyone try to restore Uzushio?"

"Dunno, it's always been a mystery. I think it's mostly because it's an ugly reminder of what ninjas are capable of doing. Even amongst Konoha. But…"

"What?"

"Let's just say Uzushio was famous for ghost stories. Even before it was destroyed.

XXXXX

"I swear, I will find a way to shove my sword up a storm's ass!" Mura had to keep one hand on his hat to keep it from blowing away. He had expected the storm to be big, but not to pick so quickly. It took all of ten minutes for things to go from a stiff breeze to a blistering gale. It was also pretty dark, the only light being from their flashlights and the occasional burst of lightning from above.

"I shouldn't have gotten greedy and thought we could make it to the next shrine."

"Damn right ya shouldn't have! Now help find a way through this asspit of a forest."

The trees swayed ominously, like a bunch of eerie dancers doing the world's most disturbing ritual. Mura didn't want to spend one more second out here, not with the rain coming down to the point where every inch of his hair was soaked and visibility being next to nil. He couldn't tell which way was which with all this confusion. Goddammit, second night in and things were turning into a Grade-A clusterfuck.

He pressed on slowly, Iga right behind him. Man, even the terrain was getting problematic with the ground becoming drenched and muddy. His boots sank into a puddle up to the ankle, adding another irritation to Mura's ever-increasing list.

However, after about five minutes Mura saw something. His flashlight illuminated a path with it ending at an extravagant building. He knew a chance when he saw one. Grabbing Iga by the collar, he ran towards shelter with all haste.

"Hey, be gentle!" Iga said in protest, keeping his scrolls close lest they tumble out.

"Quitcher bitchin', I just found a roof and four walls for the night."

"Where?"

"Didjer other damn eye get knocked outta yer skull when I wasn't lookin'?"

They made it to the grounds of the shelter they'd be using…and then Mura was wondering why he suddenly didn't feel rain nor wind on his person. What the hell? Okay, this was impossible. Looking up, Mura could clearly see the night sky, the storm bellowing and quaking. But not a single drop fell on him. It was like there was a glass dome above them that was completely invisible, preventing the elements from touching them. This was a barrier, even more powerful than the ones they'd seen before.

"Mura, what did you just find?"

"No fuckin' clue, looks like we got dealt the Tesshi in a game o' koi-koi."

"I'll say." Iga took out the map, using it to cross reference the nearby toorii. "Godaiji…wait, this isn't even on here."

"Huh, so we actually came on a hidden stash. We're a couple o' lucky sons o' bitches."

"No Mura, you don't get it." Iga showed him the map. "Every single shrine here has been documented and catalogued over decades. A lot of the ones we went to also weren't officially revealed until years after. The last one to be unveiled was fifteen years ago. The only reason they hadn't been disturbed was due to no one getting the proper clearance to do that."

Of course Mura was the one who had a knack for walking right into trouble. Criminy, he thought that gig in the cave years back was the last time he'd be involved with that shit. Still, they at least had a roof to sleep under for the night and wait until morning for the storm to blow over. Too bad the place gave off vibes that were even creepier than everything else on the island.

It wasn't just the main building before them, this was practically a damned palace compared to everything else. The grounds were wide, probably are a kilometer in diameter and there were multiple buildings, the only ones they had seen the entire time. Aside from the main hall there was three auxiliary buildings and a pagoda that rose far above the canopy of the trees. How in the hell did anyone miss this?

They stepped into the main hall, Mura taking off his hat to shake all the moisture out of his hair. Lightning cracked across the night sky again, illuminating the place briefly. The place was huge, by far the biggest of any of the places of worship the two men had been scouring for the past two days. And the most extravagant.

Mura's flashlight couldn't be pointed anywhere without it highlighting something valuable or ostentatious. The entire main hall alone was decked out in just about every kind of decoration possible. Huge, woven scrolls hung from above, gilded oil lamps doing the same though they hadn't been lit in many years. Again, those statues that annoyed him to no end graced his presence. Like before, they were all meticulously detailed, their size only helping that as they were around as tall as he was. All ten of the beasts were in attendance, minus one.

"Hiding the most ostentatious one of 'em all, what a fuckin' paradox." Mura set his pack down and threw his coat aside, sick of feeling like a damp rag.

"I was hoping to find a few secrets, but this is far beyond my expectations." Iga searched around with his flashlight. "I think I'll take a look around. The storm isn't going anywhere for awhile, so I'll see if I can find a way to light this place up."

"Go right ahead, I'll just ass out here."

Mura lit his pipe and breathed in, filling the room with the scent of tobacco and cherry perfume. Everything about this expedition just kept getting weirder, he thought. More than just unease, now he was feeling a sense of dread building in his gut. It was far too familiar as well, one he felt before. Old memories came up, threatening to spill over into the present.

None o' my fuckin' concern, Mura thought to himself. He exhaled, smoke creating a thin haze around him. Lightning cracked across the sky, momentarily lighting up the room. Mura swore the statue of the fox was looking right at him.

"The fuck you lookin' at?" He growled to the edifice.

"HOLY CRAP! Mura ya gotta see this!"

Even Mura couldn't ignore that. He strolled out onto the grass, seeing Iga a mere thirty paces away shining his flashlight at something.

"Alright, what is-"

Mura stopped in his tracks when his foot would have met thin air instead of stepping on ground. Right in front of him was a chasm, its depth making the night sky not look as black at the moment. When his eyes adjusted to the light he could tell it also kept going on in terms of breadth, probably being a hundred meters wide at the least. With that, Mura could only say one thing.

"Huh."


	18. Vortex Scroll 5

Scroll 5: Darkness of the Spiral

Rain drops pelted the inn Naruto and his group were staying in, creating a rhythmic din. He was in the room he was sharing with Yamato and Kakashi, though his two roommates were elsewhere eating in the main hall. He wasn't hungry though. He had enough to get his stomach full, but he didn't have anything resembling an appetite. For once his brain had overridden his stomach.

He had been planning on turning in early, but that also failed as he fell to his futon but sleep didn't come. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling in the low light whilst rain pelted the building. He felt a bit tired from racing here from Konoha, but his brain wouldn't stop running at a million miles an hour. His mind kept drifting back to the obvious.

He shouldn't be obsessing over it, his family, but to have learned so much in a mere day was astounding. A week ago he didn't know a thing about his mother and in less than a day he had learned that not only was she born from a named clan of refugees from a long gone nation but that his own teacher knew her. Was there anything in Naruto's life not connected to some deep, dark secret? The more he learned about it the more he added to a list of people whose skulls he needed to crack in his head. It was probably going to be a long one.

The door slid open, light from the hallway pouring into the room and making Naruto wince at the sudden brightness.

"Oops, sorry." It was Kakashi. Clumsy bastard. "Did I wake you up?"

"I never went to sleep." Naruto sat up and turned a nearby lamp on. "Why is sleeping so hard lately?"

"Probably because you're not used to thinking so much." Kakashi sat on his own futon. It was only the two of them now. "I know I used to stay up all night whenever something big was on the horizon."

"Or when someone tells you your whole life is a lot more complicated than it has any right to be." Naruto never was good at being subtle, causing his teacher to chuckle nervously.

"I deserve that. I should have told you the second you became my student, though at the time you had learned about the Nine Tails so I guess I didn't want to stress you out. Or at least that's the excuse I kept making."

"Did the old man know?"

"Of course he did, he knew your mother just as well as I did."

"There's another person I need to smack." Adding yet another to the list. "I take it that test when we first met…"

"I probably would have let you pass regardless. I owed your mother that much."

"I do believe that's what's called nepotism."

"I prefer to call it honoring an old friend's memory."

Kakashi, Uzushio, the Uzumaki Clan, the old man, there were a lot of people Naruto had been connected to in one way or another before he'd even been born. He went from being some nobody to having a pedigree. Heck, in the bath Kakashi and Yamato had even told him he was distantly related to Tsunade through her grandmother and should probably start respecting her more. He'd have to dwell on that one.

This was still so much to take in. He went from being nothing to being part of something far bigger than himself. Uzumaki, it wasn't just another name. Still, it didn't make him any less mad that nobody told him. Others had to know and yet they kept their mouths shut. Secrets, secrets, always with the secrets of who he was and what it meant, he found it so irritating.

"How many others know?" He asked his teacher.

"A lot, actually. Tsunade, Jiraiya, the Third Hokage, the clan heads, they all knew. Heck, I remember hearing a rumor that the Hyuuga head was trying to get your mother into the clan." The thought of being attached to that family made Naruto shudder, though Hinata and Neji were alright.

"The hell…why do you guys always know more about me than I do and never told me?"

"It was just hard to talk about. Every time I saw you I saw your mother staring back. I know it had to be the same for everyone else. It's easy to say, but "

"I can understand distancing yourself, but years of neglect is a completely different thing."

"I never said I was in the right. I guess I'm going to be treating you to ramen for years to come to make up for it."

"That's a start." If just a small one.

Naruto looked at the window which faced the sea. Just over the horizon was his mother's birthplace and the origin of his ancestors. Lightning cracked across the sky, making night bright as day for a brief second. If it weren't for the rain Naruto might have been able to see the island. Now that Naruto thought of it, Kakashi mentioned the place being known for its barriers and seals. Which made the boy remember a particularly eventful stay during his training trip.

"Uzushio, I wonder if Senpai knows much about it."

"Senpai?"

XXXXX

Iga never thought he'd be impressed by a chasm before, but there was a first time for everything. He and Mura scoured the building for lanterns and finding every drop of oil they could until the lawn was lit up appropriately. It took nearly an hour and by the end of it they now had a ring of lanterns around a crater that was at least a hundred meters around. Iga couldn't even see the bottom of it, nothing but a pitch black void descending into the earth.

Then there were the pillars. There twelve of them around the pit, twice as tall as Mura and around three times as wide. Thick shimenawa ropes were wrapped around them and then used to connect each pillar until they made a complete circle. It was definitely a type of seal. But he couldn't tell what for. There had been _something_ inside that pit, but he couldn't even begin to guess what it was.

This wasn't what Iga had been expecting. True, when he decided to follow up on that seal Sensei had showed him he was ready to have a few surprises, but he never thought they'd involve something of this magnitude.

Thunder cracked across the sky after lightning struck, illuminating the deep, cavernous pit a little more. Was this why Uzushio was wiped out? Just what in the hell had they been hiding this whole time? And then there were the pillars. Iga would have to check again under better lighting, but they didn't fit with everything else. They were…old, ancient even. From what he remembered, Uzushio had been around long before it was declared as a Hidden Village, older than nearly every single one of them.

More than just curiosity and confusion, something else was driving Iga's interest in this place and the chasm: dread. From the moment he stepped onto the grounds of the shrine, from the second he saw that giant pit, he couldn't help but feel like he shouldn't be here. It coiled up his spine like a snake, constricting around his heart and even making breathing hard. No, this was a place that nobody should be. Maybe Uzushio's citizens had been right to abandon this place and leave behind whatever had been buried here. Though it was buried no longer. And that thought terrified Iga.

"Iga, if ya stare that damn hole any longer people are gonna start wonderin' things." Mura didn't have much of an interest in the chasm, instead choosing to laze back at the shrine and smoke. He probably would have gone to sleep by this point if he weren't obligated to keep an eye on Iga.

"Mura, it's not every day you see this. Hundreds of years of history and I don't remember this ever being recorded in Uzushio's colorful backstory." He shined his flashlight at the pillars, trying to wrap his head around them.

"We shouldn't be here." Mura leaned against one of the pillars. "We came in to get a few things and get the fuck out. Ancient secrets 'n hidden shrines are the kinda shit that ends with bad mojo in one way 'r another. I'd rather not have my last moments involve somethin' tryin' to fellate me with the nearest pointy object."

"Always too graphic, Mura." Iga shined his flashlight at the pillars again. "At first I thought this was to protect something like in all the other shrines, but I don't that's the case anymore."

"What the hell changed yer mind?"

"An old tale I heard once. Ya see, Uzushio wasn't originally a hidden village. Heck, most of the villages weren't, being around way before the system was established."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Suna used to be an oasis for travelers before the iron mines shriveled up and made the place useless from an economic perspective, and Kiri was an old harbor that started gettin' to be a hassle when poor bastards kept smackin' into crap 'cuz o' the fog."

"Well, Uzushio was a highly religious community. From what I remember, the Uzumaki clan's near-mythical founder was a miko."

"And I take it she's the main subject of the tale."

"The heroine, yes, but not the subject."

"Oh?"

Iga recited a passage, remembering the story he had heard from the old men back as the monastery.

_Seven days and seven nights_

_The One of the Six Paths rebelled_

_Seven days and seven nights_

_The White Princess danced_

_Seven days and seven nights_

_The Maiden of the Spiral sang_

_Seven days and seven nights_

_The Old Ones fought_

_Seven days and seven nights_

_Until the old world ended_

_And man stood_

_On the corpses of gods_

Mura always hated the old tales. They were always grim and dramatic. Still, he got the point Iga was getting at.

"So, whatcher tellin' me is that there was somethin' nasty sealed here."

"That's the direct interpretation. Like you said, Uzushio isn't in a prime location, it's just an island off the coast. A lot of the other villages were important at one point or another for various reasons and became hidden villages due to their highly strategic locations in times of war. Uzushio isn't anything like that."

No it wasn't, but what it was ideal for was keeping things out of the hands of others, or to keep something locked away. An island in the middle of nowhere, hours off the coast so if any major occurrence happened it wouldn't be difficult to be reported by the other nations. The people of Uzushio fought to the bitter end, the casualties eclipsing even those of Amegakure during the wars. Even a nation of people knew when to retreat, but they held on. Why? What would possess them to give their lives like that?

Why, that was the question that came to Iga's mind over and over again in studying Uzushio. But now he was starting to wonder of another one: what. What would make them stand their ground like that? Iga thought it had been a Tailed Beast, but considering Uzushio had mastered sealing those things he was beginning to think it was something different, something bigger.

Iga gazed over his shoulder back at the temple. This was a place no one had known about outside of Uzushio and probably most of its citizens didn't know of its location. Iga needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Well, hope you're not worn out," Iga made his way towards the main hall "because we have a long night ahead of us."

"…Y'know, sometimes I fuckin' hate you."


	19. Vortex Scroll 6

Scroll 6: Blood at Dawn

The storm ended shortly before dawn, the clouds finally breaking across the island and leaving Uzushio drenched but far more peaceful than it had been over the long night. The current resident of the ramshackle building in particular was grateful for it. When the storm finally ended they snapped awake having managed to get some sleep after spending roughly a day and a half tracking the two unexpected guests through the forest.

With dawn breaking the figure finally walked out of their temporary shelter, pulling back their hood to reveal spiky black hair with long bangs framing an unusually fair face and dark, sullen eyes. He looked tired, no doubt not having fully recovered from the night before what with a thunderstorm raging about and having to sleep lightly lest he find himself in a precarious position. He sent out a clone in order to update Orochimaru the night before, but there was no sign of the old snake currently. Maybe something happened, but considering what he had seen with Orochimaru in action he chalked it up to the old bastard being lazy.

Sasuke retraced his steps from the night before, though his actual tracks had been obliterated aside from him marking the trees with gouges made from his sword. Eventually he made it back to where Iga and Mura had vanished the night before.

No matter how many times Sasuke looked at it nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Whether it be his normal eyes or his Sharingan, he saw nothing unusual. It just looked like more forest too dense for any sane man to want to traverse. It was thick with brambles and no discernible trail with trees growing too closely together to get through without injury.

And it was all a lie. Sasuke drew his sword and took a swing at the foliage. It hit nothing though, his blade vanishing beneath it as it would on the surface of a cloudy pool. An illusion, that's what it was and a freakishly powerful one at that. In fact the only reason Sasuke knew it was there was because he was forcing himself. The back of his mind kept telling him to ignore it and move on, but he managed to not succumb to the odd, suggestive hypnosis.

"So, not just a misdirection but outright manipulation."

Sasuke, on reflex, unsheathed his sword and faced the new addition. His sword was mid-swing when a wiry, but ludicrously strong arm stopped him. Gold, reptilian eyes burrowed into his and a face pale as milk cracked a condescending sneer.

"You really need to get your sixth sense up to par." Orochimaru said, releasing his student from his grip.

"Where have you been? I sent out my message two hours ago. It couldn't have taken you that long to get here."

"Orochimaru-sama and I were investigating the sites." Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "We thought it better to take out time instead of rushing things. Unlike you."

"Is there something you want to say?" Sasuke never liked Kabuto and liked him even less over the years he had spent being taught by Orochimaru.

"Now, now, boys, no need to get into a pissing match. Save your frustrations for more constructive things." The only thing constructive Orochimaru ever did was suffering in one manner or another.

The old snake was just as curious of the illusion as Sasuke had been. He was a far bigger expert on this than Sasuke was, the boy typically not having the patience for learning attacks of the mind, though he had learned how to defend against them.

"Hmmm, not just an illusion, but also a type of subliminal hypnosis. Truly fascinating." Orochimaru chuckled. "Had I known the Uzumaki had things of this nature I probably would have paid more attention to that stupid sow."

"Sow?"

"Don't sweat the trivial things." Orochimaru said before he vanished into the illusion, Sasuke and Kabuto following behind him.

XXXXX

Iga had eventually conked out sometime past midnight, or at least that was his best estimation. He'd been positively rabid in his search for knowledge, racing through every text and tome he could get his hands on as he whittled away the hours.

Though he found nothing substantial, at least not from what he had gleaned. Perhaps Mura had fared better, but all Iga was finding were mundane reports, often journals of the priests and shrine maiden working here. Inventory reports were also about, detailing odd artifacts that had been brought to the temple and then stored. This place was like a vault, a place to keep precious and dangerous things out of the hands of others. From what Sensei told him that was something every hidden village had. So what exactly was hidden out back?

That was actually talked about every now and again, but they only referred to what was being contained as "it." No actually proper nouns, not even a vague description. However, he did find one interesting entry when he was barely awake, the mental toll of processing all that information beginning to catch up with him.

It was an entry in the head priest's journal, dated over sixty years ago. Despite its age the old book managed to hold together, even if the pages were yellowed from time and stiff from disuse.

_July 22_

_ It happened again, that weird rumbling we get once in a blue moon. I've been years for decades and I still can't grow used to it. I just tell the kids and the villagers they're earthquakes and they're none the wiser. Being right next to the epicenter really makes me nervous._

_ Every time it happens I get a visit from the village head. He always asks me if we're keeping the seal up properly. Of course we are, we'd be fools not to._

_ How long has it slept here? Even when I was a boy I felt those tremors. And even my grandfather told of them. Why did our ancestors leave us with this burden?_

At the end of it all, Iga found nothing else. Eventually his brain gave out and he spent the night with his face planted into a desk. By the time he woke up he felt stiff and groggy. Beams of lights poured in through the window, pale orange and yellow highlighting the dust motes. The air was crisp and cool from the night before.

"Ugh, I wonder if Mura's up." Iga said to himself as he blinked, his eye bleary from sleep and overworking himself.

Iga made his way through the disheveled archives he had been investigating last night. He'd eventually put them in scrolls, but for now he needed to find his partner. The main hall was lit up properly, a far cry from the gloomy darkness that had enveloped it last night. The place was huge, enough to fit a hundred men inside comfortably. And clear on the other wing was where Iga had asked Mura to look. Knowing him, Iga was going to find him conked out in a corner with his hat over his face.

When Iga went into the room he was immediately met by the scent of perfumed smoke. Dear gods, did that man have any respect for history? There he was, sitting a chair propped up on two of its legs against a book stack with his pipe between his teeth. In his hands was an unraveled scroll.

"Yaksha…?" Iga heard him mumble. "One of 'em was here?"

"What?" Iga spoke up, nearly making Mura tumble.

"Oi, ya mind givin' me a hint before ya send my ass into the infirmary from yer negligence?"

"Sorry, I thought you'd still be asleep." Iga looked at the scroll Mura had. It was some sort of old tribal art, depicting a giant towering over a crowd beneath it. It was positively monstrous, like a human bound in chains with its arms crossed over its chest and its mouth muzzled with fangs gleaming. The ground was scorched, tongues of flame going skyward. "What is that?"

"This li'l place is the art room." Mura finally stood and thankfully put out his pipe. "I spent about three hours last night goin' through shitty, abstract bullshit and the kind o' crap a contrarian critic has wet dreams over. Didn't these brush-impotent hacks ever learn how to draw properly?"

"Remind me never to let you see a post-modern art exhibit." Iga went over to the scroll and examined it. "Are there more like this one lying around?"

"A few, though I keep seein' Tailed Beasts more than anythin'. This place had some damned weird obsessions."

"What is a Yaksha anyway?"

"Uh…" Mura mumbled something, though it was so low Iga couldn't make sense of it.

"What?"

"When I've been up fer barely an hour, I say all kindsa crap." Mura walked out quicker than usual.

"Where ya goin'?"

"I need some air that doesn't smell like rotten ass and potato chips."

"Hey, we ain't done talking! How do you know what the hell that was?"

"Drop it, Iga."

"You called it a Yaksha, was the heck is a-"

"Iga, we got company."

As they exited the front entrance of the temple, there were now three men standing on the front lawn about twenty meters away from them. Iga had thought there were no other visitors to the island, so their absence from being mentioned only meant one thing: they weren't supposed to be here.

One of them was young, younger than Mura who was Iga's junior by about four years. Dark hair framed a pale, fair face. The other man was wearing glasses and had long, grey hair tied back. However, it was the oldest of them that made Iga's heart stop. Even if he had never met the man his face was one-in-a-million and his reputation far exceeding him.

Orochimaru, a name he'd heard time and time again for years. And he was told the exact same thing whenever anyone hypothesized the possibility of meeting him: run like hell.

"Good morning, gentleman." The old sage spoke in a tone that was sickeningly patronizing as he bowed. "I must saw, I never expected us to meet under such unique circumstances."

"Mura, this is-"

"Iga, I'm not a moron, I've known the roster of S-Class criminals fer years. I thought I was hallucinatin' when one of 'em finally dropped dead a few months ago since yer lucky to see that once a decade."

"Oh Sasori, I always wished to be the one to do him in. I suppose I should send whoever took care of him a present." The man cruelly chuckled. "Enough about me though, I just want to say the two of you have been most helpful in my search."

"When someone else does the work fer ya, it ain't assistance, it's cheatin'."

"Whatever works, works. For your assistance I'll let you leave here without incident." Mura's eyes narrowed at that, the swordsman clenching his hand in order to crack his knuckles.

Like that was going to happen, thought Iga. Sensei had told Iga in detail about what this man had done, how many lives he had taken and how many people he had made miserable through his actions. His record proved that with his body count having more digits than any human being should have, let alone a wanted criminal.

Iga knew that fight or flight were the options. The question was which one. Mura was the best swordsman Iga had ever seen and while Iga wasn't one to brag about his own skills he was more than capable of supporting Mura. But this was a Sage, a living legend who earned his title against the Hanzo the Salamander. There was no point in getting in a fight if the chances of winning were low. They also had no idea of the capabilities of the other man or the youth.

Fleeing was the optimal solution, but the question was if Orochimaru would let them. If escaping were that simple no doubt Orochimaru's corpse tally wouldn't be so high. Maybe one of them could get away, but there were no guarantees. Iga hated making sacrifices anyway. Decisions, decisions.

"Oi, Iga." Mura said.

"Yeah?"

"Do I feel a chill?" I hate you, thought Iga as he knew what that signal was.

Mura's movement could be outright described as surreal. In all his years of knowing him, Iga still didn't know how the man was able to be little more than a flickering shadow on the battlefield. In a nanosecond he was standing right by Iga's side and the next he was in front of Orochimaru, his hand gripping the sword at his hip.

Orochimaru hadn't been expecting that judging from his yellow eyes going as wide as they could. As expected of their opponent, Iga actually saw Mura's sword for the first time since meeting the man. His strike had been parried by Orochimaru suddenly regurgitating a sword from his mouth. This would no doubt be a battle for the ages, but Iga had no luxury of being an audience member as Orochimaru's companions were descending on him.

Iga evaded their strikes, getting his jacket nicked by blades both physical and made of chakra. However, the two of them were no doubt surprised when their footing suddenly became slippery.

_Anbuda_!

The temperature plummeted rapidly, the air turning frigid and the grass becoming covered in a layer of frost. Iga's two opponents were so stunned by the sudden shift in the ground they slipped upon touching the ground. Not just content with glazing the grass with a pittance of frost the earth was becoming covered in a thick layer of ice that kept growing. The two men retreated while Iga was gliding on the bizarre, makeshift ice rink like it was second nature.

"While Buddha is merciful, I'm not so naïve that I believe violence isn't necessary at times."

"Tch, a bit cocky, aren't you?" The youth's eyes had shifted, going from soulful black to a blazing red. Sharingan, thought Iga. Well, he was wondering if he was ever going to cross paths with this boy.

Once again they were on the offensive. The bespectacled man shot off explosive kunai with deadly accuracy only to see that his target had slid out of their line of fire. Not content with keeping the battlefield two-dimensional, Iga was going sideways on a sheet of ice stretching upward. If he had known things would have gotten violent then he would have brought his khakkhara. Still, he could do enough without it.

_Nirabuda!_

Ice levitated around Iga, forming what could only be described as an array of petals. Despite their beauty, looking eerily like flowers in full bloom, they were not for aesthetics as they flew through the air like shuriken. The spectacled man managed to dodge, but the petals swiftly went on a return course, not just flying from behind but also above and from the sides. Again he dodged, but even after burying themselves in the ground they flew back out.

_Katon: Goukayuu no Jutsu!_

In contrast to the early winter weather Iga was enacting, the temperature suddenly skyrocketed and the petals he had been manipulating were now reduced to flying puddles. Iga glanced at the dark-haired youth whilst hanging upside down on an overhang made from his ice manipulation.

"Kabuto, watch yourself." He said while drawing the sword from his back. "I'm not going to save you every time."

"That goes double for you."

"You, you're Sasuke aren't you?" Iga asked.

"…And if I am?" Trying so damn hard to look "serious" it was almost painful. Now Iga knew it was him.

"Mura and I have a little policy we like to enforce."

"And what is…?"

Sasuke had rarely seen someone able to match his speed, so the look of surprise he had when Iga was on him in an instant was priceless. He still dodged the swing, thanks to the Sharingan, but the followup was a bit harder with his feet being stuck to the ground from the layer of ice that had encased them.

Iga was blocked with Sasuke's partner providing interference with a pair of fuuma shuriken that came flying at him. Sasuke, managing to wrench his feet from the icy shackles that had been binding him advanced on Iga, his sword aiming at his side. However, Iga was the true ruler of the battlefield, not even having to make a gesture for a wave of ice to rise and catch Sasuke's arm. Still, he had extra limbs.

With his free arm Sasuke make a quick flick of his wrist. Six iron needles fired out with enough force to shatter the ice pillar that Iga had been standing in front of. With the man on his knees Sasuke struck the obstruction currently hobbling his arm.

Sasuke would have managed to finally land a hit, but once again Iga let the ice move him, gliding away and up. His violet eye met Sasuke's red ones.

"Man, I must be off today if a brat ten years my junior is giving me this much trouble."

"Or maybe you're just getting old."

"Tch, youth is wasted on the young as they say."

XXXXX

Holy hell, people used to live here, thought Anko as she stepped off the boat onto the river dock. Even video and photo evidence couldn't attest to just how much destruction had come down on this place. Entire building were toppled and huge chunks of earth were plowed so deep that the sea seeped in, creating small lakes. Buildings were sunken, roads ripped to pieces, and she couldn't see a single piece of glass in the windows. If the world were to ever end, she was certain she was getting a sneak preview. She thought Konoha looked bad in those few months following her old teacher fucking them sideways. She still had a lot to learn.

"Kakashi, ya got any clue where we're supposed to start searching?" Anko adjusted the heavy pack she was going to lug around for the trip.

"Tsunade gave me everything pertaining to the temples and shrines, but…" Kakashi scanned the most recently updated map of Uzushio "yeah, we got a lot of ground to cover."

"Just great, more walking."

"Wish I could have convinced the Hyuuga to lend us a hand. We could sniff this entire place out in a heartbeat. Probably could have even done it from the shore."

"Good luck." Yamato shrugged his shoulders. "For some reason the clan head has been a lot more cautious than usual. From what I heard, he hasn't let his daughters or nephew out of the village in over a month."

"I'll never get what goes through the old clans' heads."

"Hey, are you old-timers gonna stand there all day or are we actually gonna get stuff done?" Naruto was already heading down the street.

"Oi, what did I tell you about getting cocky!?" Anko cupped her hands around her mouth to make her voice carry better. "Get your ass back here because there is no way in hell I'm gonna waste time trying to find you when you get lost!"

"Although, now we need to get down to the big issue." Yamato consulted the map he had. "Where do we start looking?"

XXXXX

Orochimaru had been in many battles in his life, perhaps numbering into the hundreds. He had fought against dozens of men and women, sometimes trampling beneath his treads other times walking off half dead. He thought he had seen it all. And now he was completely flummoxed by a brat who couldn't be even half his age.

Mura's handling of his sword wasn't normal. He wasn't using them like tools of battle or even extensions of his body, it was like they had a mind of their own separate from his arms. Orochimaru had learned as a child never to watch a fight but feel it, knowing that to rely on your eyes was foolish with how fast battles would go, especially when it was solely a melee fight. But even they he couldn't get the flow of the fight. He couldn't feel the rhythm, the tempo. Whatever rhythm Mura was playing to it wasn't something Orochimaru could interpret.

"Syah!" Orochimaru barely evaded that strike with the tree that had been behind him now toppled. Not only was this boy outrageously fast he had the strength of a damned devil.

Again they danced, Orochimaru trying to break off and get some space, but it only caused Mura to push forward. Orochimaru couldn't do anything as simple as reset the battle, let alone retaliate. The first rule of a ninja battle was to never let the opponent use hand seals and Mura was doing just that beautifully. If Orochimaru dared to attempt any sort of ninjutsu or illusion he'd be cloven in two at the least.

He blocked another strike, the flat of his Kusanagi managing to keep Mura's twin blades at bay. For once the man's blades had stopped moving. Orochimaru had never seen someone able to land three strikes in the time it took other swordsmen land one. The only other person he'd seen come close to that was Mifune and even he wasn't that insane. Just who in the hell was this brat?

A burst of air kicked up where Mura had swung a split second before. Where there had once been tall grass up to their hips it was now sheered to ankle height. Orochimaru wondered if he had intended that.

Orochimaru was having to devote everything to just deflection or blocking. He had tried many times to trick Mura into hitting the edge of his Kusanagi, but the younger man wasn't fooled. He'd always hit the sides or stop at the last second. This boy was more than just physical capability, he had the insight to realize when someone was feinting him or drawing him into a trap.

Orochimaru risked a glance at Kabuto and Sasuke's battle when he brought Mura to a hilt lock. His two students weren't doing well, Mura's associate reducing the fight to a zoning battle as he raced around on pathways of ice and pestered them with projectiles. He always hated those types of fights. Though admittedly Sasuke and Kabuto didn't have it anywhere near as bad as Orochimaru did right now.

As much as he tried to go against Mura, hoping to overpower him it was useless. Despite his effete features, the man had absurdly strong. He was slowly pushing Orochimaru's blade towards him. Never in his life had Orochimaru been on the defensive end of a battle for so long. He needed to find some way out of this. His stamina wasn't infinite and the more this dragged on the less in his favor it became.

He finally stopped the deadlock, narrowly dodging Mura's blade with any sort of follow up denied with Mura's free hand giving a thrust towards the Sage. Orochimaru was sweating, beads of perspiration dripping upon his pallid face. For the first time in years he was breathing heavy, no doubt caused by his current body rejecting him. If he were in a newer body he wouldn't be in this mess. Wait, now that he thought of it, there was one trick to get his current opponent out of his hair. Under any other circumstances he wouldn't risk it, but with his current condition…

Mura came at Orochimaru, both his swords drawn. He was just a blur of white and black, his blades aiming to severe Orochimaru's soul from his body. The two of them continued their dance, the aggressor chipping away at Orochimaru's stamina while Orochimaru was waiting for the right time.

Orochimaru's Kusanagi flew from his hand and embedded itself in a nearly boulder up to the hilt. With nothing to defend himself with Orochimaru's opponent went for the final blow.

A sickening squelch was heard on the grounds and Orochimaru's arm was severed at the elbow. However, much to Mura's annoyance, his opponent was grinning. Oh…fuck, thought Mura.

"Thank you." Orochimaru said just before the summoning symbol activated and a snake the size of several buildings appeared.

XXXXX

Anbuda: Arbuda, highest of the cold Hells in Buddhism. The "blister" Naraka, is a dark, frozen plain surrounded by icy mountains and continually swept by blizzards. Inhabitants of this world arise fully grown and abide lifelong naked and alone, while the cold raises blisters upon their bodies. The length of life in this Naraka is said to be the time it would take to empty a barrel of sesame seed if one only took out a single seed every hundred years. Each lifetime in these Narakas is twenty times the length of the one before it.

Nirabuda: Second highest of the cold Hells. The "burst blister" Naraka, is even colder than Arbuda. There, the blisters burst open, leaving the beings' bodies covered with frozen blood and pus.


	20. Vortex Scroll 7

Scroll 7: Reunion

So this was Uzushio, Naruto thought as he scoured the temple he, Yamato, and Kakashi were in. He had been expecting decimation, but this was outrageous. This wasn't a city anymore, it was a graveyard. There wasn't a single street or building that hadn't been damaged in some manner and some were outright surreal, such as half a building just lying on its side.

His mother actually saw all this? Jeez, Kakashi had told him stories before, but even those couldn't have prepared him for this. Almost as if the world itself knew it, the city was devoid of any life, not even a bird or rodent flying through the air or scurrying about. Well, at least not any that they didn't already know of.

It had been about an hour and they had found nothing in the past three temple. In fact, most of them had been picked clean. There was something fishy about this. Orochimaru wouldn't just yank random crap just for the hell of it. Something else was going on here. And ever since he got on the island something felt…_wrong_.

He didn't know why, but he could feel a creeping sensation going up his spine. Not like Orochimaru, not at all, but something different. It reminded him of whenever he used to fool around at night when he was a brat he'd always avoid going out into the woods for fear of a monster eating him. It was like there was something out there that would jump out to devour him if he dared venture beyond his station. He got the feeling he shouldn't be here.

"You alright, Naruto?" Yamato spoke up, tossing aside a ruined, moldy book.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't get enough sleep last night." He rubbed eyes, trying to fake it despite being perfectly alert in that regard. "This place is so…weird."

"Well it should be, considering that this is where the sealing technique of the Tailed Beasts was developed. I take it your little roommate isn't fond of being here either."

If he was he sure wasn't talking about it. That stupid fox did whatever he felt like. Most of the time he was content to sit silently, like he was testing Naruto. It was annoying, though at least it was better than hearing that insufferable prick spout nihilist philosophy.

The Chuunin picked up another book, an old volume with yellowed pages and a weatherworn jacket. A lot of the ink was blurred, nearly illegible from years of neglect with its words lost. Naruto, despite never set foot here before now couldn't help but feel like someone hit him in the gut.

How long until the people living here realized they would never see their homes again? Holding out hope for months, years even, praying that the storm would come to an end. Maybe there were some out there, hoping still. Naruto wondered how long his mother held out hope. Even when she knew he would be brought into the world.

"If things had been different, I might have been born here."

"In a better world, perhaps." Yamato said, his voice flat but not short of sympathy. "I did see action during the last war like Kakashi-senpai and his team. The damage caused was insane, but even I've never seen devastation of this sort. Uzushio's fate is what caused the villages to rethink their actions."

"They shoulda thought o' that a lot freakin' sooner." Naruto threw the book at the wall, frustrated at the thought. "And now this place can't get a break even after being wrecked. Even my lineage is a mess."

Naruto exited the temple, pretty sure there was nothing of importance to find. He stepped out onto the street, once again seeing buildings practically decapitated. As far as he looked it was just a ruin, nothing but a sick reminder of the kind of power ninjas could wield.

He hadn't walked down these streets, he didn't know anybody from here, but he could feel a void in him. Why? Why would an entire village be wiped off the map? And why had nobody tried to help them? Something about it just felt wrong.

His thoughts, however, were interrupted when a raucous din came from nowhere. Thinking at first it was thunder Naruto looked upward, but didn't found a single raincloud in the sky. And when the noise continued he set his sights towards the forest. Which looked like it was being leveled.

XXXXX

Orochimaru hadn't hesitated in putting Sasuke and Kabuto to work scouring the premises for the item he had been looking for. Despite Mura having lopped off his arm it was little more than a minor annoyance, the sage having long since mastered how to reattach severed limbs. However, the lost blood wasn't coming back anytime soon and he was looking a bit paler than usual, though that could have been due to the circumstances of this trip already.

As soon as Orochimaru's summon had taken their foes elsewhere the two younger men began looking up and down the place, tearing it apart. Sasuke had to give the slimy bastard this, he know how to direct his carnage when need be. Had he not been able to control his technique the damage to the temple would have far worse and risk destroying what they had been looking for.

Sasuke went through the storehouse like a madman, tossing aside ancient, priceless artifacts like they were dinnerware he no longer needed. He didn't have time for this, he needed to look for masks.

The Uchiha left the storehouse he had been in, believing it worthless. They needed to hurry, if the noise was any indication their adversaries would probably win out. It wasn't often someone could beat a summoned beast, but those who could weren't to be trifled with and certainly not someone to let have a rematch.

He glanced over at Orochimaru. The old bastard was more worn out than Kabuto and he, recuperating from having lost so much blood and burning a lot of chakra via a summon. Still, he could have contributed something. All he'd been doing for the last few minutes was staring at that giant hole in the ground. No matter, Sasuke had a job to do.

However, he didn't hear what Orochimaru whispered.

"Pain…what are you up to?"

XXXXX

Naruto thought this mission would end with a fight in one way or another. He had even expected to have one right off the bat on the island (though that was luckily proven to be untrue). However, as they were skulking through the city hoping to find a clue to Godaiji, he had never expected to hear what sounded like an earthquake happening outside the city.

"The hell was that!?" Anko and Sakura had been going through one of the other shrines, thought finding nothing due to it being picked clean.

"I dunno, but something big is going on in the woods." Kakashi looked through a pair of binoculars. Something was rearranging the landscape in the forest fiercely. Trees were knocked aside like toothpicks in some diorama by a snake the size of small marketplace. "Well, we got our mark. Let's go!"

Far too easy, thought Naruto as they race towards the site of destruction. The sound of the trees being toppled went on for fifteen minutes even after they entered the forest. It was like hearing a million bones snapping as the monolithic serpent wrecked everything in its vicinity. All of them readied for battle. Though that was completely pointless.

As they finally reached the tree line, the rampage stopped. A hiss loud enough to resound for kilometers around went off and suddenly the snake fell, its death throes being the capstone to its previous display of destruction.

Confused as they were, they pressed on. The air stank of blood and viscera as they approached, Naruto and Sakura having to cover their faces lest they gag from the pungent stench. As they approached they heard some of the most colorful language in history.

"Snatch-gobblin' fuckin' malcontents!" A husky, gravelly voice echoed. "I swear, I will shove my boot _so_ far up that pasty-faced, pedo-twatracket's ass that he'll be suckin' my damn toes for his next three lives!"

"Crap, I left most of the stuff we got back at the temple." Wait, who was that? It sounded like….

"Gimme five minutes fer a damn smoke break."

"You're smoking right now."

"I need an extra long one after all this bass ackwards bullshit."

The five Leaf-nin turned at each other quizzically. As they approached, they got a clearer view of the giant snake's corpse. It had a load of wounds, its flesh carved with numerous sword strikes though considering the size of the creature they would be like flesh wounds at best. However, the sword embedded up to the hilt in its skull showed the finishing blow.

One of the men came into view, a pretty, platinum-haired man with a pipe burning between his teeth. His outfit was marred with the snake's blood and his hair had streaks of pink and red through it. Man, if it weren't for his voice the guy could probably get thrown into a dress and no one would be the wiser. Naruto now had a new number one in his "way too damn pretty" list.

"Yer jobs 'r nothin' but bad luck, ya know that?" The man was already packing his pipe again, having sucked down the previous bowl like he'd been guzzling water.

"Hey, no one could have expected that. Those are literally one in a million odds."

"Yeah, 'cept when yer around in which they skyrocket to guaran-fuckin'-teed. The fuck're those assholes doin' here anyway? Awfully risky goin' into territories that want that snake geezer carved up and turned into a snazzy hat."

"I could less about the reasons, but the fact that he's here doesn't bode well for any involved. Especially if he has an Uchiha with him."

"I noticed, I wondered why you were so interested in that brat."

"Sasuke…?" Sakura and Naruto whispered to each other reflexively.

"AND IF THE FUCKIN' PEANUT GALLERY WOULD STOP TWIDDLIN' WITH THEMSELVES LIKE FUCKIN' FIDDLES AND GET THEIR ASSES OUT HERE, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY FUCKIN' APPRECIATED!"

The silver-haired man was glaring _directly_ at Naruto. In fact, the two of them were making eye contact. Kakashi gave the signal, the five of them coming out into the open to meet the man they had been eavesdropping on. His eyes narrowed further.

"More fuckin' Leaf ninja." He sighed, smoke billowing from between his teeth. "Is this some kinda party I didn't hear of 'cuz a few of yer old associates decided it'd be fun to wreck shit up, me included."

"Do us a favor and remove the stick lodged firmly from between your shapely ass cheeks." Anko had enough of this guy's coarse tongue. "I swear, if it were any deeper you'd-"

Before she finished her second sentence, a flash of white bolted from behind the silver-haired man so quickly it put out the smoldering ember in his pipe. Suddenly Anko was staring straight into the face of a redheaded man, his single violet eye positively beaming. Wait, Naruto's brain suddenly stall he was so surprised. It couldn't be.

"My _gods_, I've seen beauties far and wide, but you're one-a-million, no, a billion."

"My, my, my, nice to see someone here who knows how to butter people up." The Jounin grinned. "Though, fair warning, I'm a _very_ naughty girl. Boys are afraid I'll eat. Them. Up."

"Well, I accept that chal-"

"Senpai?"

The redheaded man looked over his shoulder. He blinked thrice until he was sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Naruto?"


	21. Vortex Scroll 8

Scroll 8: Specter of the Past

Naruto had blinked thrice when he saw the familiar white outfit and blazing red hair. He had thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him, perhaps his mind addled by sleeping funny or stressed from the current predicament, but sure enough they weren't. That was definitely Iga, an old "student in the manners of love" under Jiraiya.

When Naruto went on his trip with Jiraiya, he had gone to many different places and met many people, all of them acquaintances of the old sage. He'd met everyone from businessmen to street thugs to other ninjas to just normal people. However, Naruto never expected the old man to be acquainted with men of a holy disposition. He'd been dreading the trip the whole way there, imagining stuff old priests and monks giving him boring lectures and tedious lessons.

And then they found Iga, the worldliest monk in the history of the entire sect, drinking with three women in a bar at the town nearest to the temple. All while chanting some of the more obscure sutras. It took three minutes for Naruto to process what just happened.

He was an odd man, clearly not of the mind to be of a member of the temple, but he wore a set of prayer beads on his forearm regardless. It was certainly some of the most fun Naruto had during the trip, spending more time with Iga and Jiraiya going on "the matters of women" and his latest book than about techniques.

And now that very same monk was standing in front of him.

Iga separated himself from Anko whom he gave a wink, the woman responding by blowing a kiss. Sakura was already dreading the man, her eyebrow twitching at him.

"_This_ is Iga?" She asked her teammate.

"So you're Sakura-chan." The monk chuckled. "Naruto told me you were cute, but I never imagined he wasn't exaggerating."

"Back off, manslut, I already heard enough stories to know to be wary of you." The pink-haired Chuunin cracked her knuckles.

"Iga, when yer pissin' off girls who ya just met I think you need to rethink yer station in life." The silver-haired man as he climbed up the dead snake to retrieve his sword.

"What are you doing here, Senpai? If you were so close to the Land of Fire you could have given me a ring."

"A surprise I'd hoped to give you, but that's been thrown into jeopardy. By none other than an old friend of yours."

The Konoha shinobi turned to one another, not needing to put much effort into deciphering that. Naruto had wished to find news of Sasuke, but never though the boy himself. His thoughts turned to Sakura. He could see it on her, the flush of her cheeks, the way her breaths were rapid and shallow.

"Iga-san," Kakashi stepped forward "I thank you for your information. If you would point us to Orochimaru's location we'll take it from here."

"Unfortunately I left some objects of extreme importance back at the site. I can't rest until I get them back." He turned to the silver-haired man. "And I would hazard a guess that you're of the same mind, Mura."

"I hate leavin' things unfinished." Mura hopped off the head of the snake, having retrieved his sword.

"Be that as it may, we're better equipped to-"

"Listen, Cyclops, this is swiftly becomin' one o' my top ten shittiest days and the last thing I am gonna listen to is someone tellin' me to sit on my ass when the target of my ire is only fifteen minutes away. Usually this ain't any o' my concern, but I'm makin' it mine this time."

"This is a matter of Konoha, civilians and third parties need not get involved."

"We're already involved, Kakashi." Iga got between the two men lest things boil over into violence. "We won't slow you down. Admittedly I left my weapon back at the monastery or else I could aid you further, but Mura and I can take care of ourselves. If you hadn't noticed, Mura is the one who did the heavy lifting on taking out that serpent."

Naruto had to agree. As much as he disliked getting Iga involved, more people around could be a blessing. His sensei looked to the boy.

"Naruto?"

"Senpai isn't one to brag. He may not look it, but he's _really_ strong."

"And you two?" He looked to Anko and Yamato.

"Well, we ain't got a lot of choice, do we?"

"The man has clearly proven himself as a warrior. Furthermore, argument is pointless as we've already wasted too much time."

Practically as soon as Yamato had finished that sentence they were already racing down the path the summoned snake's rampaged had caused.

XXXXX

The air had turned silent. Orochimaru didn't like that. He'd expected Koku to buy more time than that, perhaps even kill the two men. If the giant snake had been fighting for that long only for the silence to come now it didn't bode well; often when chilling silence came it was but a prelude to a violent conclusion.

That man, his sword, Orochimaru knew he saw that before somewhere, but where? He'd been in many battles and while his abilities had allowed him the luxury of hopping from one body to the next as neatly as someone would change clothes, but even his mind was a victim to hazy memories. But he knew he saw that before, somewhere, long ago. This trip had been one of unexpected surprises, such as the one he was standing in front of right now.

He paced around the giant hole that he had observed on the temple grounds while Sasuke and Kabuto were tearing the place apart. He gazed into the giant chasm, barely able to see the bottom of it. He never liked secrets being kept from him, not when he still called himself a Leaf Nin or now. This entire temple was an unknown, something hidden even among the best spies he had ever known. It angered Orochimaru to know he was so deprived of knowledge.

Uzushio, it was a country of no significant repute, even among the Hidden Villages. They had devised the initial method for the Tailed Beasts ages ago, but it had been proven that new and improved methods only made those of the Uzumaki Clan obsolete swiftly and the country was left to its fate. When Orochimaru had first defected from Konoha to form his own ideal, he had sent spies here and there but they turned up nothing of interest. He would have thought them mad and stupid to have missed something this huge, but upon seeing how strong that illusion-barrier hybrid had been he had to dismiss that. Furthermore, there was another matter at hand.

Pain, Orochimaru's old superior when he called himself an Akatsuki. He'd only met the man at meetings and never held a proper conversation with him. When he saw his eyes, ribbed with odd rings and a sickening violet color Orochimaru could not believe his fortune: Rinnegan, an ancient blessing so rare it was thought to be lost. He had seen eyes like that once before in Amegakure, but he knew it wasn't possible that the man he had called a leader was the boy he, Jiraiya, and Tsunade had met after their battle with Hanzo. That boy was dead, or so he heard in hushed whispers from the isolationist nation. Perhaps if he had stayed longer, Orochimaru could have gotten to the bottom of it, but that time had passed. It wasn't just his attack on Itachi that had him flee to go his own way, but Pain's odd fixation on lurking in ancient, forbidden places that even Orochimaru hated treading.

Uzushio, Pain had mentioned it before, as if he had been a man possessed of purpose. But for what? Orochimaru knew of the village's past, but there was always something that made Pain examine it. Was this it? What secrets did this place hide? Orochimaru decided he needed to look into this further.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto called, casting the Sage's attention elsewhere.

"Have you found what we're looking for?"

"No, we have more people on the way. Familiar faces, for you, Sasuke, and I and not just his old team."

Of course those idiots would show up. Orochimaru thought it over, not expecting his distraction to already be gone and a few more irritations on the way. They were outnumbered, though whether or not skill was eclipsed was another matter entirely. He needed to buy time, that's all he needed. That's when a simple idea crept into his head.

"Kabuto, tell Sasuke it's about time he caught up on old times with his friends."

XXXXX

Sakura moved through the forest with the rest of the group. They were silent, none of them wasting their breath on pointless conversation, not when their target was in spitting distance. However, now she wondered which her target was.

Three years, that was how long she'd been waiting. When she took this mission she knew that she shouldn't hope to find out anything about Sasuke, let alone see him. And now he was on this island.

What would she say to him? That was something she'd thought about every day for three whole years. It kept her awake at night, sleepless hours going by as she thought about him and that day he left the village and her.

"You look like you got a lot on your mind." Iga smirked at her as he ran alongside her.

"Don't mind me, I'm just thinking about something stupid."

"He certainly is." Did Naruto tell everyone he met over the past three years about that?

"I don't recall it being any of your business."

"I don't mean to butt in, it's just that I can't stand jackasses that make girls cry."

"So that's where Naruto learned that cheesy phrase." She grinned. "I'm done crying, and I don't plan on crying again until this is over."

"Well, then I'm going to be inclined to help. To rob a lovely lady of tears is most unforgivable."

What a dork, she thought. Still, at least she had somebody on her side with this whole affair.

They kept running, Sakura's heart beating like mad at what was to come. However, the very ground began to shake and leaves began to fall from the trees. Everyone barely managed to get out of the way of something roughly the same size as a locomotive tearing through the forest with about the same speed and force.

Another of Orochimaru's damned summoned snakes, cursed Sakura under her breath. The giant serpent, its scales a sickening shade of great reared its ugly head at the group. It wasn't as big as the one lying dead a ways back, but it was still enormous, enough to swallow several men whole. Its tongue flickered out and it observed the team through slit pupils.

_Rasengan!_

Naruto, not one to react, took the first move and leapt at the giant snake with his chakra sphere in hand. No good, however, with the beast moving with a speed that did not match its giant size. It managed to move its head out of the way and retaliate with its tail. Naruto barely managed to evade it, conjuring a clone to send his actual body hurtling away from the several tonnes of reptile.

_Mokuton:_ _Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu__!_

The very forest came to life, trees and vines slithering like the snake they entrapped. Yamato was putting everything he had into it, guiding the trees he created or manipulated with a mere thought. Within seconds the creature was bound, though even that proved to be temporary. Wood snapped with a sickening crunch, the snake proving to be slippery in spite of its size.

Wood Release, thought Sakura, that wasn't possible. Only the First Hokage was known to have used that, not even his own grandchild Tsunade could do that. Just who was Yamato?

"Look out!"

Iga cast up a wall of ice several meters thick in front of himself and Sakura. The shattered trees came down upon them, ice breaking like glass but keeping the two of them safe from the impact. However, then a giant maw was bearing down on her and Iga.

"I HAVE FUCKIN' HAD IT!"

One second the snake was going right at Sakura and Iga, their lives flashing before their eyes, the next its head was planted in the ground after what sounded a cannon going off rang out. Standing right in front of them was Mura, clenching his hand into a fist as a vein in his forehead the size of a hose was threatening to burst. He…he didn't, he couldn't have, thought Sakura, could he? Everyone just stared in stunned silence as they were trying to wrap their heads around it. And then Mura's top blew like a dormant volcano.

"Y'know, I was hopin' this was gonna be one helluvan uneventful trip. Sure, more borin' than watching a paint dryin' vs. grass growin' competition, but at least I could relax. But NOOOOOOO, I had to stumble onto the biggest clusterfuck-ram-rod-riding-slapdick bullshit in recent fuckin' history and now have a migraine so goddamned big I swear it's 'cuz I'm growin' a fuckin' tumor right now!"

"Uh, Mura." Iga stepped forward.

"SHADDAP!" Iga was going to remind Mura that the snake wasn't dead, but when its attempt to retaliate was stopped by Mura backhanding it then it was clear the man had things under control.

Mura tossed his head and starred daggers at the serpent, the man's eyes now a pair of silver flames burning fiercely. He bared his teeth, growling like a wolf would when facing down prey. He hands went to the pair of swords he had. No one saw him draw them, merely feeling a short, sharp wind before all the foliage around him was reduced to mulch.

The snake attacked, but by the time it struck Mura had long since left the spot.

The man was a less than a blur, a phantom or perhaps even the reaper himself severing everything in front of him.

Sakura couldn't track him. Even with all her training she couldn't catch the man. Instead of a blur he just saw a warp in space. Steel cleaved through the snakes' scales, ripping its skin to shreds and leaving a bloodied gash that was at least twenty meters long in the creature. Still, despite that the blades Mura wielded still lacked the appropriate depth to cause a severe injury. The snake still struck, having turned its attention to the lone swordsman. He managed to avoid the massive maw once again, the snake snapping the tree he had been on in two.

"Mura!" Iga yelled out.

"Getcher ass movin'! I've handled a fuckuva lot worse than this!"

"And you say I'm nuts!" Iga said as the rest of them went running up the path, the sounds of battle ringing in their ears.

Mura just popped his neck as he watched the ninjas and Iga run. He knew this wasn't any of his concern, or at least it shouldn't have been. They were at least less of a hassle than the last guy he met that was from Konoha.

XXXXX

"How come you never once mentioned that guy to me, Senpai?"

"Mura is not the kind of subject to bring up lightly. 'Sides, I'm not the kinda guy to talk about people when they're not around."

"Your introduction might have been more flattering." Kakashi glanced behind him as the fight kept raging. "Who is he anyway? Typically men like that have a reputation and yet I haven't heard a peep of him?"

"Mura likes to keep things local. That's what you get when you're born in the Land of Iron."

"Or you're hiding something."

"I am, but nothing you have to worry about."

Iga-senpai, thought Naruto, always playing coy. Naruto chuckled under his breath at the man. He wished he'd reunited with Iga-senpai under better circumstances, but it was good seeing him.

They pressed forward, the trees nothing more than a blur. Naruto could finally see Godaiji, the temple that was not supposed to exist. However, as they approached, something was waiting for them in the middle of the path.

Their hood fell, revealing a face Naruto hadn't seen in three years, but one he would remember no matter what.

"Sasuke…"

"Hey, dumbass."


	22. Vortex Scroll 9

Scroll 9: Roar of the Beyond

Three years. It was just two little words, but Naruto had been waiting for all those days for this. As far as he'd been concerned those three years' worth of training was all for this. Beyond Orochimaru, beyond even Akatsuki, this is what he had been waiting for.

Sasuke hadn't changed one bit. That same wannabe-stoic expression, the same hairdo that reminded Naruto of a duck's ass, nothing had changed about him.

No one said anything, Sasuke's black eyes darting from one person to the next, finally resting on Naruto. All those memories came pouring back into the fore of Naruto's mind. Every mission they'd been on together, every fight they'd taken place in, every moment they'd trained, Naruto remembered it with the clarity of crystal.

Naruto wanted to lose it, he wanted to go off like a bomb and beat the hell out of this guy. Itachi had pissed him off beyond belief, but seeing Sasuke again made his vision red. He clenched his hand so hard he was drawing blood. He was a whirlpool of emotions right now, jumping from one negative feeling to the next in rapid succession as he tried to figure out which one he wanted to express.

"Sensei," He looked to Kakashi. "Leave him to me."

"Naruto, you know our mission."

"Yeah, which is why you can't be wasting your energy on someone not in your league, right? I got Sasuke, you deal with Orochimaru."

It was bad bluff, Naruto knew that. He just wanted an excuse to deal with Sasuke man-to-man like before. It was childish, it was stupid, but he had to do it nonetheless.

"I'll allow it, but Sakura is staying here to watch you. You're not the only one who's pissed."

The boy nodded to his teacher. The rest of the group was off to deal with Orochimaru. It was just the three of them now.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Asked Sasuke. "I was expecting you to come up with some rousing speech like last time."

"It would be a waste of time. Besides, you're just as boneheaded as me so there's only one way for your stupid ass to get anything."

"Don't make boasts you can't back up."

There were no more words needed, Sasuke threw off the cloak he had on and made the first move. Naruto responded in kind, the two boys racing towards each other at breakneck speed. Seconds before they would have collided, they kicked off to opposite directions and circled each other. Despite not seeing each other in years, they both had a grasp of one another perfectly well. They could add as many bells and whistles as they could to their repertoire, their base was still the same. They were feinting one another, hoping for the other to make an opening.

Once again Sasuke made the first move, drawing the sword he had on the back of his belt in an arc at his former teammate. Despite his Sharingan, Naruto was just a bit too fast. That and he didn't expect the boy to whip out a trench knife from his sleeve and parry him. Not a wise way to block, thought Sasuke.

Sasuke's sword began to vibrate, the boy having sent an electric up the length of the blade. However, he didn't expect Naruto's knife to not just resist the finer cutting power from his blade, but to outright repel it and start digging into Sasuke's sword. Sasuke cursed to himself, forcefully withdrawing lest Naruto cut right through the blade. Fitting how the loudmouth who bragged about being his rival just so happened to have an element that opposed his own lightning affinity. This was becoming a bad matchup. And only swiftly turning worse when he felt someone behind him.

"Yoo-hoo, lover boy." Once upon a time Sakura would have used that flirtatiously. Now it was dripping with an undercurrent of anger.

Sasuke knew of Sakura's training Tsunade and what that would entail. While he could afford to parry with Naruto he had no such luxury with Sakura. Unlike their parting three years ago, she wasn't being gentle and caring. No, he could tell just how mad she was at him. And it was even more frightening at how focused she was, Sasuke barely managing to keep her fists from making contact. As the old snake told him, even a graze from someone using Tsunade's fighting style would leave catastrophic injuries.

Sasuke didn't have a problem dodging, but he had to do so by such wide margins it left him no room to retaliate properly even with his Sharingan. This also left the fact that Naruto was still there and having to deal with the both of them was more of a hassle than he needed. As much as he hated to admit it, he had gotten arrogant. He thought he could deal with them, but he had forgotten just how surprising his teammates could get.

Naruto threw another strike that Sasuke evaded, but barely managed to do the same to a kick he brought. He thought he was finally free to retaliate, but from his blind spot something that felt like a train car hit him going roughly the same speed. He flew, the wind knocked out of him but luckily nothing broken or severely damaged. He landed in a nearby tree with enough impact to break the branches that would have cushioned his landing.

Sakura was already right next to him as he got up. Her green eyes met his red ones. Past anger, he saw that same anguish from three years ago during their farewells.

"I love you." She said simply.

Those words again, words he heard over and over during the Academy. Sasuke wasn't an idiot, he knew how much attention he got from women for reasons he found stupid. It was so shallow, so fake, just the fleeting fancies of girls letting their hormones run wild and control them.

This girl though, she meant it. It wasn't puppy love, not a crush either, she meant it.

"You really are a stupid little girl." Sasuke had to fight back a grin.

"This stupid little girl can break you in ways you can't even imagine." Sakura kissed her fist. "My next kiss won't be so gentle."

Women, always so eager to pay back slights.

XXXXX

Kakashi had known it was stupid. He shouldn't have let the two of them fight Sasuke like that. Like Anko had said, they needed to know what it meant to wear the vest of a Chuunin. Still, the entire reason they had busted their asses for three years, the entire reason they were on this island right now was because of Sasuke. They'd been waiting for this moment for years. Sakura would come home every night exhausted, sometimes so worn out she just rested at Tsunade's residence. And Naruto, well, from what Kakashi had heard from Jiraiya there were times the Sage had to borderline detain Naruto lest he exhaust himself. He couldn't deny them that, even if it was against his instincts as a commander. Hopefully he made the right decision.

"Don't worry about it." Iga piped up, having noticed Kakashi's mind being weighed by his decision. "Naruto may be hotheaded, but he isn't dumb."

Iga, Kakashi heard a bit about the man from Naruto but never quite expected this. He didn't look the slightest bit like a monk, not with his eccentric fashion sense and fiery hair. Now that Kakashi thought about it, he still didn't get why Naruto knew the man in the first place.

"Just why did Naruto and Jiraiya go to your temple anyway, Iga?"

"My sect deals with sealing and barriers. You're smart, so you should able to put two and two together."

"The Nine Tails, eh?" Anko answered before Kakashi, though he managed to bring up a point in the time it took to answer.

"Is something going on with the seal?" Iga's eye was honest. And it was an honesty that Kakashi didn't like.

"It's been degrading for awhile now. Sensei brought Naruto to me in order to patch it up. I managed to do what I could, Uzumaki techniques being very similar to my sect's, but even I can only do so much."

"So you came here to find out a way to fix it."

"Yeah, it is an Uzumaki technique, so it makes sense to do so. Still, I don't know how much I can do even with that."

"It's like trying to fix a house, isn't it?" Yamato chipped in. "Use as much plaster, cover as many holes as well as you want, there's no way it'll ever be as durable as it used to be."

"But I can't tear this one down and start from scratch, at least not yet. To be honest, Naruto should _not_ be touching it. I don't know what the hell the Fourth Hokage was thinking, but he had to be nuts to shove that thing into a kid."

Kakashi didn't know either. In fact that entire day was a complete mystery. He didn't get how the Nine Tails showed up in the first place. At the time Kakashi had thought the infamous fox was long dead if it had even existed in the first place. Seeing the towering, demonic beast dispelled those doubts in an instant.

That day was a horror movie, the fox wrecking half the village in an instant and only fought off by the best and strongest of the village. Kakashi hadn't been among them, instead shut into a security shelter with all the other youths. He hated that, he should have been there that day with Minato, the man who taught him everything he knew. But when it was over the Fourth was dead, Kushina was dead, and the Nine Tails was sealed in Naruto.

But why though? Why would Minato do that, especially to Kushina's son? It was dangerous, even insane. Kakashi had seen the extent of what a Tailed Beast could do, and Naruto hadn't even tapped into the full extent of the Nine Tails' power. What had he been hoping to accomplish? It was times like this Kakashi wished he could speak to the dead.

A rap to his head brought Kakashi back to reality.

"Keep your mind on the task at hand." Said Anko, looking annoyed at Kakashi's angst. "We can worry about everything else later, right now we got a job to do."

"Rather single-minded, aren't you?"

"I like to think I'm keeping you on track. The last thing we need is you getting distracted."

"Don't worry, I know my priorities."

They pressed further on towards Orochimaru. Kakashi couldn't help but feel anxiety building in his chest. However, it wasn't from what he thought it was.

XXXXX

Naruto did his best to keep his cool during his fight with Sasuke. He had so much to vent, so many things he wanted to say to the boy who left them. It was tempting to lose it, to go full-bore into it and let himself going haywire with raw emotion.

He knew better though. Every strike, every movement he made was deliberate. He'd realized that feints and mind games had to be made even with the simplest of movements. Jiraiya had drilled that notion into his head with months of sparring, even saying what he didn't do was as important to the game as anything else and that it was vital against a Sharingan user. Luckily, even if it was briefly, Naruto had managed to get in some practice with that in meeting Itachi. To be honest, when comparing the two brothers Sasuke, was nowhere near as threatening.

"Chaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

If anything Sakura was probably the most terrifying one in this melee. Sasuke was hard-pressed to do anything to the girl, having a far easier time with Naruto who he could at least risk blocking. If he tried that with Sakura his arm bones would probably end up as powder if the scorned girl was feeling generous. With his Sharingan he was able to play defense, but retaliation was far more difficult. He could bide his time.

Naruto went in with the trench knives he'd been given as a gift from Asuma. With his chakra their cutting edge was closer to a wakizashi than a knife, though unfortunately Sasuke's Sharingan could see the telltale chakra, making the nearly invisible wind blade. The Uchiha stepped back, merely suffering a cut to his outfit. Naruto's knife work was sloppy, not quite getting the fundamentals down. At best he was using them as an extension of his melee moves, which was admittedly a course of action considering the trench knives, but Naruto clearly hadn't gotten used the concept of them being full-on blades with his chakra infusing them as opposed to just knuckle dusters.

Sasuke didn't really want to do this. He'd hoped to avoid any contact at all with his teammates, especially Naruto. When he looked at that boy, all he could think of was a simple sentence his brother said to him years ago.

_To gain the Mangekyou Sharingan, you must kill your closest friend._

Sasuke rejected that three years ago, feeling that he would rather not take advice from the man he swore to kill. But the temptation was still there. The Mangekyou was terrifying, a mere glance from Itachi deciding their last meeting in an instant. Would Sasuke, as he was right now, have enough to counter that? And that wouldn't be the only trick Itachi had.

No, he wasn't going to do that, he refused to take advice from the man who slaughtered their clan, their parents. He didn't know what Itachi was up to with it, but he was not going to let his choices be dictated by a madman.

_Doton: Doryuuga!_

The very earth itself had split, opening into a maw that threatened to devour Sasuke. He leapt, barely managing to avoid being caught as the jaws clamped down.

_Rasengan!_

A typical tactic to use, Naruto having readied his technique while Sasuke was in midair and incapable of dodging. He came at Sasuke, though the boy had readied his own technique.

_Chidori!_

Using his free hand, Sasuke let loose with a blade forged from his own chakra. With a sound resembling a thunderclap the two boys were sent hurtling away from one another in opposite directions. They tumbled, crashing into trees before stopping. The impact had been great enough to make a small crater in the ground.

Naruto cursed to himself, his arm numb from the recoil of the Rasengan. He couldn't believe it, but Sasuke was having trouble keeping up with him. He could do this, he could beat him.

"You alright?" Sakura was right next to Naruto, examining him.

"It's nothing major, just a little tingle."

Sasuke was already up, relatively unfazed by the blast. That was all right as far as Naruto was concerned, he wanted to keep this going on as long as possible. He couldn't vent everything if Sasuke was out cold too quick.

Sasuke walked slowly, clenching and unclenching the hand he used for the Chidori. Naruto finally noticed his face, ugly markings snaking their way across his skin like the world's worst tattoo. Of course he hadn't been using that right off the bat, not considering how volatile it was.

"You got better." Sasuke popped his neck. "I guess you finally stopped halfassing it and thinking you could get through life winging everything."

"It also helps when I've had experience with people a helluva lot better at kicking ass than you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at that comment. Oh, I struck a nerve, thought Naruto. Once again the three youths readied themselves.

XXXXX

He finally found it. It took far longer than he had hoped, but Orochimaru finally acquired the mask. With this, he could once again be the Sage that inspired terror in his enemies.

It was an ugly thing, a mouth sculpted in an eternal grimace with a pair of dead eyes that kept staring at him. It looked almost exactly like the Shinigami who had taken the use of his arms. The ritual was simple and he had the necessary tools. However, something was bothering him.

He didn't want to use it. He didn't know why, but something inside of him was telling the Sage not to even think about this anymore. Put it down and walk away, the back of his mind told him, in fact, smash the damn thing.

Its flat, dead eyes stared at him, like they were peering into his soul. What was going on? It was like the mask was alive.

"Orochimaru-sama, they'll be here soon." Kabuto said, snapping Orochimaru out of his daze.

Kabuto unfurled the scroll they had brought with them and released its contents. To the ignorant eye it would have seemed like an incredibly well-made mannequin, completely with no hair to speak of and no features indicating sex.

However, it was actually a curiosity Orochimaru found some years ago after leaving Konoha. He studied it for months, trying to understand what it was and where it came from. He answered the first eventually, finding that it was some sort of artificial human that had bizarrely "blank" DNA, like a pile of stem cells. It was completely functional biologically but lacking any sort of brain function. It was the perfect vessel for his body transfer.

"Alright Kabuto, get ready when you see the Shinigami."

"As you wish." Kabuto drew a knife.

Despite his previous reservations Orochimaru set the mask on his face. With that, he felt disconnected from his body, even his own being. He no longer had any control over his limbs, his arms and legs immediately locking into a pose like he was on a cross. The Shinigami appeared behind him mimicking the position, and now even Kabuto could see the specter. He knew the procedure: cut Orochimaru open and unleash the seal on the souls bound inside the entity.

If only Kabuto knew what Orochimaru was thinking right now. Orochimaru, the second he put on the mask, felt…_something_. Even if he could talk right now there was no way he could properly explain it. It was like he could _feel_ all the souls that were in the Shinigami right now. He could feel everyone. Hashirama, boisterous and proud; Tobirama, stern and pragmatic; even Sarutobi, that stupid old man, he could feel them all. Deeper still he felt that brat whose life was cut way too early. And beyond him, in the lowest recesses of this pit he felt…_that_.

What the _hell_ was that thing? It wasn't like the others. It was a vast, gaping void. But so brilliant, he couldn't tear his attention from it. And then he swore it _saw_ him.

Like it was right next to him, in that room with him hanging over his shoulder. It was utterly corrosive, its very presence making Orochimaru feel like his skin was boiling off. And the power, dear gods, the power. He had felt the Tailed Beasts before and even they were like cubs next to this thing. For the first time in his life, Orochimaru felt terror.

And then it spoke.

_Who…are you?_

Orochimaru realized at that moment that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. He didn't know what was about to be unleashed into the world, but it couldn't be let free. His mind screamed the words his lips weren't able to say.

_Kabuto, don't do it!_

Unfortunately, the Sound-nin's strike was already following through. And with that, a cry that pierced the heavens rang.

XXXXX

Doton: Doryuuga - Earth Release: Earth Dragon Fang


	23. Vortex Scroll 10

Scroll 10: Terror

Nothingness, that is what its existence had been for what seemed like eternity. Never once had it thought that it could be contained, that its strength would be rendered useless. It was maddening. Just it and that human in here, voiceless and vagrant.

It didn't know how much timed passed, whether it be days or years but every moment was agonizing. It wanted to scream, but had no voice, it wanted to rage but had no limbs. It was torture, being aware of nothing and cursed with the inability to voice frustration. All it could do was wait.

More came in as its neighbors, reeking of a similar stench to the man who sealed it in here. But again there were no words, no gestures, just vast, empty silence. And again it waited.

But then something else came, something for the first time in agonizing aeons. This was its chance, its time to be released and to take back what it was owed. It raced towards the light and with a voice that was indecipherable by nearly everyone it screamed.

It tore out of its prison and with its cry came dire consequences.

XXXXX

"Gha, my ears!" Anko rubbed her finger inside her ear canal like a q-tip, hearing nothing but a loud ringing for a few seconds as she recovered from that. "Did that old snake trip the most annoying home security system in history?"

"Definitely the loudest." Kakashi turned to Iga, the redhead having been hit so hard by it that he was on the ground clutching his head. "Are you alright?"

"Guess my hearing is a lot more sensitive than I thought." He shook his head like he was trying to snap himself out of a hangover. "Still, that can't be a good thing."

Kakashi had to agree. It came from where Orochimaru had been and no doubt that had signaled what Kakashi feared worse: that they failed their initial mission and now had to go to the contingency plan. Four on two against a recovered Orochimaru and Kabuto. Kabuto, as skilled as he was, was at least manageable, but Orochimaru back to full strength would be a nightmare even with the deck stacked in their favor with his previous battle with Mura and Iga and no doubt having burned chakra in order to initiate that ritual. He had his orders.

"Everybody ready?"

"Just point me to where that old bastard is and I'll follow him even to Hell." Anko was a little too eager to say that. In fact she was practically skipping towards the temple. And then Yamato spoke up.

"This…isn't good." He said, glancing back at the path they had taken."

"Eh? What's going on? Don't tell me an ANBU suddenly got cold feet."

Yamato flashed the back of his hand to everyone. Anko and Kakashi paled in an instant. It was a kanji reading "one."

"What does that…?"

"Oh shit." Kakashi was told what that meant before they set out. The Nine Tails was manifesting.

XXXXX

"What the hell was that?" Sakura and Sasuke finally uncovered their ears, the both of them having been taken off guard by the cry they had just heard. Their ears were still ringing loudly. That was the most intolerable sound Sakura had ever heard in her life. It was like a million birds cried at once.

Sakura shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind of that. She could deal with whatever that was later, right now Sasuke was right in front of her. She readied herself for another assault, but stopped when she saw that Sasuke was standing slack-jawed, staring at something behind her.

It was then that Sakura finally felt it. Perhaps it was because the cry had distracted her or maybe Sasuke being in front of her, but she felt like there was a bonfire behind her, its heat suffocating the air around her. Slowly she turned around, knowing she'd regret doing it.

Naruto was hunched over on the ground, grinding his forehead into the dirt like he was trying to make an imprint. He was painfully choking and his hands clawed at the ground viciously. Oh god, Sakura heard about this, this couldn't be happening.

"Naru…to?"

"Sakura…Sasuke…GET AWAY FROM ME!"

With a terrible roar Naruto lost it. Even fighting it as much as he could the fox wasn't being kept at bay. Within seconds he was wreathed in chakra, cloaking him a blood-red shroud. _That_ was what it looked like? Sakura had seen Naruto channel the Nine Tails before, but not to that extent. He even took on a bestial posture, crouched like an animal with sharp teeth bared. He wasn't…was he even aware of where he was?

"Na-"

Sakura couldn't even get out the first syllable before the boy lunged. Sakura, luckily, had something shove her out of the way. Where she had been a split second before had been gouged by chakra claws. Sasuke intercepted Naruto, his sword managing to keep him at bay. However, the chakra covering Naruto was so thick it was acting like armor, Sasuke's blade not even touching his skin.

Naruto swatted Sasuke aside, the Uchiha sailing away with a mere flick of Naruto's wrist. He wasn't conscious, just acting on reflex now. The shroud kept intensifying, two tails now having grown on it. And then Sakura noticed Naruto's skin was looking raw. He was ruddy, like he'd been sunburnt and blood vessels bloomed on his skin. Oh god, that chakra wasn't protecting him at all. So this was what happened.

"Naruto, snap out of it!"

He heard her, but her words were but white noise. Claws that could rend steel took a swipe at her from afar, chakra arms stretching. Sakura dodged it if barely and retaliated. She knew from Tsunade's training how to disable someone without killing or crippling them, though in Naruto's case she'd have to be a lot rougher.

Chakra went into her arm and she advanced. Another arm came, shredding part of her vest but leaving her unharmed. She cocked back her arm and let loose. Her fist connected, going right through his shroud and hitting him in the jaw. Man, it hurt though, the demonic chakra feeling like she was sticking her hand in a cloud of scalding steam. However, despite all that, it was as effective as a gentle breeze as he just shrugged her off.

She retreated, though Naruto was close behind. She evaded again, going for a counter that she expected to at least dizzy him but a kick to her gut told her otherwise. It was just as she feared: he was out on his feet, the chakra controlling his body like a puppet. This wasn't her friend, it was just a mad beast.

"Naru…" He was coming, claws ready to rip her to shreds. Then she started hearing the chirping of birds.

_Chidori!_

He managed to stop the possessed Naruto, the force of the Chidori knocking him back. Under normal circumstances he would have pierced right through Naruto, but all he could do was stun him. Man, the Chidori wasn't meant for that. One impact made his hand numb and doing two made it feel like an explosive tag went off in his hand. His fingers were stiff, his palm aching. Skin was peeling from his hand and he felt dizzy.

Naruto was getting back up, the Chidori not doing much to impede him. Sasuke knew the Nine Tails was in him, but he never expected it to be this ferocious. He wasn't sure he could flee, not with how vicious Naruto was looking and he wasn't sure if he could disable his former teammate. Once again that thought of Itachi's crept into his mind, annoying him.

"Be careful!" Sakura had recovered, looking surprisingly fresh for a tumble in the dirt.

"I thought medic-nin weren't supposed to be on the front lines."

"Shaddap, sometimes ya gotta bend the rules."

Naruto was fully recovered. And another tail began sprouting on him. Sakura was told what happened if he hit four. This was just a fraction of the Nine Tails' power. Could she really do it? Could she at least keep him at bay without killing him or getting killed?

"You two are a handful." Sasuke was getting another Chidori ready, his hand crackling.

"We're all a handful."

"Has this happened to him before?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't there. I heard about it from that pervert Jiraiya but I never thought it would get this bad."

"Did he have any contingencies?"

"Simple: try to keep alive until help arrives."

"That isn't a plan."

"Well, it's what we gotta do regardless."

The situation had gone strange. Sasuke, despite his position, wasn't selfish enough to let Naruto run wild. He certainly was half-assing things with his regards to leaving his own team.

XXXXX

Kakashi had repeatedly told himself he'd be prepared for the worst, but preparation was really just a security blanket for something of this magnitude. He'd never seen it himself, but he could feel it all the way out here. The malevolence emanating from Naruto's location was absurd, like being in a maelstrom of hatred and Kakashi and Anko were only on the edges of it.

As loathe as he was to reduce his odds against Orochimaru, Kakashi had to send Iga and Yamato to deal with Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke were effectively pointless, even their training and Sakura's experience against an Akatsuki being useless. Even then it wasn't because of Iga and Yamato's battle prowess that they were sent, but because they had the right set of skills which would only level the playing field a bit if they got lucky.

"Everything that can happen, will happen, right?" Anko was clearly pissed, but also nervous. She kept glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the mad din that a berserk Naruto was causing.

"And everything that happened is bad. Goddammit, I should have kept him on a leash."

"No using bitching about it now, we got our own problems."

They went through the threshold of the temple, the illusion Iga having described earlier having been shattered due to the surrounding area being wrecked from battle. Luckily most of the temple hadn't been destroyed, but the grounds were a complete mess. And amongst that madness stood two figures, one in white and the other in black.

It seemed like the ritual had taken a lot out of the old snake. He wasn't going to get a better chance. He had a mission to fulfill and things were going to hell with unheard of swiftness.

_Raikiri!_

Kakashi's hand lit up so brightly it was like a torch was in his hand. He raced across the lawn, looking to impale that old bastard straight through the heart if he could. _If_ he could.

It was then that Kakashi stopped. There wasn't anything he had to evade or react to. No, he felt it down to his bones, his soul.

He couldn't move, his legs stuck in place, not even being able to breathe, barely being able to think. And then he looked beyond Orochimaru and saw what he and Kabuto had been staring at.

What the _fuck_ was that?

It looked vaguely humanoid, but it looked to be constructed of pure light, glowing brilliantly, the only other color on its figure being a pair of black pits as eyes. It tilted its head quizzically, looking at the newcomers.

That aura, it was unlike anything Kakashi had ever felt in his life. It felt like if he stumbled he'd be swallowed up in it and thrown to the winds like a storm. It was violent, overbearing, making Kakashi want to run with his entire being.

Orochimaru turned his head enough to look Kakashi in the eye.

"What did you do…?"

"Something I really shouldn't have. I hope you've gotten better, brat."


	24. Vortex Scroll 11

Scroll 11: Chaos

Sasuke had been completely and utterly fooling himself. He had a chance, against that thing, he thought. Son of a bitch, he should have had that old snake actually coach him on what the hell something like this actually meant. Then again, knowing that slave driver, this was the way of teaching Sasuke how to deal with it. And fuck him for that.

Things immediately went to hell within minutes. He had fought against Naruto once in that form and had managed to win out. _Managed_ being the key term there. This was different from back then when it was clearly a fluke. The boy had been tapping into a reserve that knew no limit, going deeper and deeper into it. And the further it went, the more Sasuke came to realize he was out of his league.

The two tails was the last time they even had a chance. He and Sakura forwent any chance of going out undamaged or knocking the boy out, stalling for time being their only objective. But even that was pointless.

This wasn't an opponent anymore, this was an act of God in the shape of Naruto. Typically the strategy was to draw things out, keep chipping away bit by bit and devoting everything to keeping a target occupied, though the sheer, unrelenting force of the Nine Tails' chakra immediately destroyed that strategy. That was a tactic used on a human, not a force of nature.

Sasuke and Sakura gave it their all. He threw out Chidori like pocket kunai and it tickled Naruto at best. Sakura would hit him with strikes that shattered steel and reduced men to mulch and he'd get back up. They had both made a gigantic error. This wasn't something either of them was equipped for. And then the third tail showed up, as if to say their time limit was up.

It kept getting worse, the aura around Naruto deepening its shade and making him look less and less human. A sickening growl came from his throat.

"Goddammit." Sakura managed to get out of her mouth. She was bloodied from head to toe, not even from direct strikes but just from the blowback of the fight. Sasuke had been bringing most of the heavy fire power. "I guess drills and practice don't mean much, eh?"

Sasuke had to agree, his arm was numb from using the Chidori. He'd improved his stamina so he could use it more often, but firing it often so many times in rapid succession had nasty consequences. He couldn't feel his fingers, barely able to move them and the skin on his arm was peeling, leaving the limb a bloody, purple mess from the forearm down. He had been using the Cursed Seal, but it was useless at this point with all the chakra he had been burning. The marks were receding, going back to their point of origin.

Naruto moved, even faster and fiercer than before. Sasuke couldn't dodge, instead barely getting his sword in the way of Naruto's chakra-covered hand. They stood their ground for a moment, though only for a second before Naruto won the exchange and Sasuke's blade snapped like a cheap kitchen knife. Naruto hit directly and Sasuke felt something in his body crack. Well, there went ribs three, five, and eight. He retaliated, but it was nothing, just a limp strike that didn't so much as tickle Naruto. Not to mention that his hand touching that blood-red chakra was like shoving it into a boiling pot. His hand was bright red, practically steaming from the sheer heat of it.

Naruto leapt just as Sakura came in, her fist missing him but she followed up with another. Of course she was the one to cause a dent in him, but ultimately it would be futile. She was just as worn out as Sasuke was.

"I don't suppose you have trump cards you learned over the years?" She asked, clearly having spent every last trick she had.

If he had something like that then they wouldn't be in this mess. Dammit, his vision was getting blurry and his limbs felt like they were covered in lead. So this was his limit. What a terrible way to find out.

Naruto leapt at Sasuke, descending on him with claws that would send him to the Netherworld. Except they never reached their target.

Naruto flew like a soccer ball. For a second Sasuke was sure he'd been hallucinating, but then the next thing he heard put a damper on that possibility.

"This trip is fulla fuckin' distractions." Mura's smoky, throaty growl moaned. He was far less irritated than yesterday, but pissed nonetheless.

Mura, that guy had actually killed that summoned snake? Sasuke finally got a look at the man and saw…what the hell was going on, the bastard was barely touched! He looked a bit ruffled, but at worst his dry cleaner was going to be furious at him, his coat covered in blood and his hair was turning pink in some places. He immediately turned to Sakura.

"Pinky, what the fuck is goin' on with him?" He pointed in the direction he had punted Naruto.

"Well…Naruto is a bit different."

"I know, he's got a goddamned monster inside o' him, now just what in the hell caused him to flip his shit?"

"I…I don't know, but we're not getting through to him."

"Well fuck," The swordsman sighed "if I had any more steam to blow off I'd be a train with all the crap that's happenin'." He took off his hat, handing it to the young girl. "I got this, just keep ahold o' that fer now and take five."

"WHAT!? Are you-"

"I'm perfectly sane." He threw off his coat, leaving him in a black leather vest and gauntlets. His swords were drawn. The growling became more shrill and intense, now reverberating through what was left of the woods. "This won't take long."

"Look-!"

Sasuke's little warning was completely pointless, Mura had already seen Naruto coming from a mile away. The boy had now reached four tails, the chakra shrouding him so dark it was now nearly black with the merest hint of crimson. He leapt and claws that could hack a tree in two swiped…at thin air that Mura had once occupied.

He didn't have time to react as a mailed fist backhanded him, the boy tumbling crudely off into the woods. Mura didn't hesitate, clearing the distance so fast that not even Sasuke's Sharingan could track it.

The Kyuubi-Naruto recovered, though not quick enough to launch an offensive. Away from Sakura and the brat, Mura had free reign to deal with the berserker. Forgoing his blades lest he harm the boy, Mura had to use his fists exclusively in order to get the job done. Not a method he preferred, but he'd been in a few fights where he had to rely on his body as a weapon.

Naruto tore apart trees and undergrowth on accident, but he couldn't hit Mura who wasn't even a blur to him. Running on instinct, reacting with the utmost speed, the mindless beast couldn't touch him. This man…it couldn't be…

Mura struck again, the toe of his boot piercing into Naruto's side. He overdid it a bit, feeling an odd crunch. Son of a bitch, there went ribs three and four. It was so hard to be gentle and keep this boy from running amok. Despite the damage his body undoubtedly had, the kid just refused to go down. The boy was probably unconscious, overwhelmed by chakra that no man was ever meant to wield.

"You are a pain in the ass." Mura groaned at the boy, more irritated than angry. At the end of the day, it was just like dealing with an animal. Savagery could only do so much.

The boy got back up, though he didn't go after Mura. Was he getting smarter? The fox-boy instead glared at Mura, eyes like the moon staring back at him.

"_**KUuUuuuuUUuuuu…!**_" he growled hoarsely.

"Do you…recognize me?" Mura cocked his brow at him.

The chakra swirled around more fervently, tree branches swaying and snapping in a breeze coming from Naruto. Mura brushed aside his bangs as the wind picked up, though he noticed it coming from a different direction than where Naruto was. He could hear fighting and an unsettling aura that eclipsed the Naruto. God fucking dammit everything was happening everywhere, thought Mura. Iga better get his ass over here quick.

Naruto was moving again, once again coming at Mura with all urgency. Once again he missed, Mura clotheslining him so hard the boy flipped in the air three times. He looked at him, silver eyes gleaming. He couldn't kill this kid, but he was going to have the kick the shit out of him. The kid was lucky he could knit his bones back together. Naruto went at him, Mura merely reciting something to no one.

"I am…the empty claw…"

XXXXX

Iga and Yamato knew they were late, but were luckily free of disaster when they finally got there. Gods, this was what a Jinchuuriki could do, thought Iga. Stories never did do justice to personal accounts. The landscape was completely rearranged, trees that were probably hundreds of years old now reduced to a bunch of lumber. A pink hair caught Iga's eye amidst the destruction.

"Sakura-chan! Are you hurt?" The amorous monk said as he went to her. She was tending to Sasuke who was laid on the ground, clearly the more visibly damaged of the two of them.

"Iga-san, Captain Yamato…" She sighed as she looked at them. "I'm sorry, I was so out of my league it was pathetic."

Nearly anyone would be. Just surviving that was something to boast about, let alone not being maimed by the affair. The pink-haired girl's hands glowed with what little chakra she had left as she tended to the black-haired youth that was out cold.

"Where is Naruto?" Asked Yamato who was surveying the immediate area.

"Well he-."

Sakura didn't get to properly answer as in came Mura who was literally riding on Naruto like a surf board, his boot planted into the side of the boy's face as they flew in. Five eyes gawked as the pair as Mura was dealing with this berserk creature like he would a wild boar. The boy still fought, trying to get a hit in, only the narrowly miss and be swatted aside.

"Will you just fuckin' _sleep _already!?" Mura grappled Naruto as the boy was in midair and slammed him into the ground so hard he bounced like a ball.

"Mura-san, keep him pinned!" Yamato readied himself.

"Eh? Well, if ya say so."

Mura planted his foot on Naruto's gut, the boy thrashing and screaming, looking for one last chance to land a blow on him. The ground shifted, wooden pillars now surrounding the two with wooden shackles now binding Naruto's limbs and neck. Mura leapt from there lest he get caught up in it.

"_**KuuuuuuUUUuuuuUUuUUUUUuUuu…!**_" One last wail before the fox started to fade away, the chakra dissipating and Naruto gradually becoming unveiled. He looked like he had been in the worst fight of the century, his clothes torn to shreds and covered in blood.

Mura went over to his discarded coat and hat, replacing them on his person as Sakura and Yamato tended to their teammate. Mura looked off into the direction of the temple, hearing more clamor. He turned to his companion/

"Hope you got enough in ya Iga, because it sure as shit ain't over yet."


	25. Vortex Scroll 12

Scroll 12: Harrowing Light

The last thing Naruto remembered was that horrible, bone-chilling screech. It was the most horrible sound the boy had ever witnessed in his life, piercing him down to the very core of his being, his soul trembling and quaking. And then, darkness.

After what seemed like forever, the darkness subsided, but with it came blinding pain. He heard voices, though muffled due to his grogginess.

"I think he's waking up."

He opened his heavy lids, seeing red and pink above him.

"Senpai…Sakura-chan…" Just talking took a lot of effort.

"Don't move, you're really beat up."

"Sas…" Iga stopped him before talking further.

"You're on the bench for the rest of the trip." The monk warned. "Neither you nor Sakura-chan are in any shape to do anything else."

"Dumbass."

Naruto glanced over, seeing Sasuke with his back against a tree. He was nursing his arm, having fired off the Chidori far too many times in rapid succession. The Uchiha boy looked over at Naruto.

"Three years and you still one up me."

If it didn't wear him out to do so, Naruto would have fired back with an insult of his own. After a few minutes of treatment the boy could finally sit up, even if he was sore everywhere. Before he could ask Iga what happened, he heard rumbling in the distance. And with it came a sense of terror he'd never felt before.

A lance of pain shot through Naruto's chest, causing him to clutch his jacket. It ran deep into him, down to his very core. The sky itself became iron gray with storm clouds rumbling. A shrill cry rang out, one that Naruto could find no equivalent for. It was alien, borderline surreal.

"Senpai, we just walked into something we shouldn't have, haven't we?" Iga not answering was all he needed.

XXXXX

Kakashi always wondered what it was like for his teacher the day that the Nine Tails attacked. He always wondered what it was like to stare down a force of nature. Most people would get out of the way, but the Fourth Hokage wasn't most people. And neither was Kakashi.

They didn't need to speak any words, Kakashi and Anko knowing what they had to do. The jounin never thought they'd be in a situation where Orochimaru was the preferable choice, but they were in it nonetheless. It wasn't even a teeth-clenched alliance. When faced with something that promised annihilation from its mere presence, everything else was revealed as petty.

All it took was a single gesture. No seals, no complex rituals, all that the white creature did was wave it arm in the general direction and the ground tore open. The air split, the very molecules in the atmosphere being blown away through sheer force as the creature displayed itself.

And that was the reality of the situation. Kakashi couldn't feel anything from this being. He felt no fear, no malice, no ill-intent of any kind. He couldn't even feel anything as twisted as sick joy in inflicting pain on them. It was more like it was observing how they reacted. It was merely curious.

Kakashi moved with purpose, his Sharingan thankfully allowing him the foresight to see attacks coming. Still, the white being was making things difficult. It just stood there, like it was mocking them.

Orochimaru, having the biggest ego in the immediate area, couldn't have that. With a renewed body and once again having the ability to do complex and powerful techniques, he was more than happy to use this new addition as target practice.

_Usuba no Niwa!_

The ground depressed into a sinkhole, one laced with razor sharp rocks on its sides. It was like a great maw of nothing but teeth, a pit from which the inhabitants would be reduced to pulp with its shuttering.

The pit closed around the being. Or at least that's what would have happened if it hadn't leapt out from the pit and right above their heads. Still, it wasn't ideal to be in a situation where it was impossible to dodge.

_Kujira no Hou!_

It didn't take him five seconds to focus that much chakra. From the snake sage's mouth came a torrent of water that could strip the bark off of trees. It hit its mark, the great deluge breaking on the being. And then Kakashi came from the side.

_Raiki-!_

It never mattered in the first place. That thing was merely annoyed by Orochimaru's efforts and in its hand it held Kakashi's arm in place. Black pits that served as eyes looked at Kakashi, dully scanning him. It wasn't even trying. Well, Kakashi was going to have to remind the creature that he had two hands.

_Rasengan!_

The Raikiri was meant for piercing defenses, but ultimately the Rasengan was more destructive if given a situation where there was no need. He landed with no trouble, the ball of chakra grinding into the being's chest. With a vicious kick, Kakashi was sent tumbling away from his enemy as the being landed on the ground in an undignified fashion. It recovered quickly though and if it were damaged, there were no signs of such. And for the first time since this whole thing had started, the creature spoke.

"_You…your scent…is repugnant."_ It couldn't even reasonably be called a voice. It was more like grating static forming a semblance of words. What in the world did they just stumble onto here? _"I've had enough…of your stench."_

His Sharingan couldn't track it. He didn't have time to react. He couldn't even think. The creature was right next to him, looking to impale the Jounin. The world seemed to freeze in place, even Kakashi was unable to process anything except for what was awaiting him: _death_.

_Rashoumoun!_

The being managed to pierce the gate that appeared in between them, allowing Kakashi to finally snap back to present time and retreat.

"Careful, brat, we're both on the line here." The snake sage reminded the Jounin.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't brought this thing out!" Anko piped up, unfortunately unable to keep up with what Orochimaru, Kakashi, and the creature were doing.

Orochimaru had to agree on that front, though in his defense he never expected to unleash something that defied everything he had ever studied about ninjutsu and history. He hated to admit it, but this thing was in a different league than him. Hell, he didn't get this kind of sensation when in the presence of a prodigy like Itachi or a monster like Pain. This was different, far more primal. He suddenly knew what it was like for a mouse to lash out against a cat. He couldn't deny it, he was actually terrified. He did want to do the obvious and flee, leaving Anko and Kakashi to fend for themselves, but he also knew that there was something else that was obvious: that he couldn't let this thing leave here alive. However, he was running out of ideas. The ritual to regain the use of his arms, the summoning techniques, and the additional one he had fired out were wearing him down. He wasn't fresh and he wasn't going to outlast this thing.

And then, the forest shifted.

_Mokuton no Jutsu: Mori no Ori!_

Wooden beams sprouted around the creature, forcing it to stay its hand and retreat. Wooden limbs snaked after it, but were nowhere near fast enough. It caught sight of the man responsible for that, noticing Yamato guiding it all like a puppeteer. The creature's hand moved to retaliate, though it was forced to withdraw it due to a shadow descending from above.

Mura's slash had enough power behind it to cleave iron with little trouble, a great wind bellowing up as he narrowly missed. Another strike came with his right, a little closer. At the very least the creature backed off, finally allowing those in attendance a little reprieve.

"Are you alright, Senpai?"

"I'm not dead at least." Kakashi groaned, he could feel the bruises on his ribs from the previous exchange.

"Well, that can change in a fuckin' heartbeat considerin' the situation." Mura glanced to Yamato. "Hey, Carpenter, think you can put some heat on that thing so me and Cyclops here have a chance o' catchin' it?"

"I'll do what I can."

"Alright, hope yer- the fuck ya givin' me that look fer?" Mura cocked his eyebrow at Kakashi gaping at him.

"What in the…?"

"Questions later, ass-beating now." Mura was the first to move, his blades gleaming like a pair of fangs

Now it was just a question if Kakashi could keep up with Mura's enthusiasm.

XXXXX

Kilometers away someone watched the display, though they were nowhere close to the island. On a rocky shore, far from any village or outpost, sat figures in black cloaks and straw hats.

"Do you think Pain-san ever expected things to turn out like that?" Zetsu asked, glancing over at Itachi who was sitting on a nearby log that had washed ashore.

The Uchiha didn't answer, just looking over the horizon, trying to catch even a glimpse of the island nation he heard of in his youth. It was times like this where he wished he had the Byakugan instead of the Sharingan. It was useful for many things, but lacked in any ability of reconnaissance. It was so annoying to have Zetsu do a play-by-play the entire time.

"How odd we were asked to do this and yet not deal with the fox brat." Kisame leaned against his sword, bored at being benched. They'd been here the day before yesterday, having heard through the grapevine about Orochimaru's little interest in Uzushio. "What do you think, Itachi?"

Itachi just stared. He didn't quite understand Pain sending them out here either at first, but then he felt it. That wave of thick, chilling air that cascaded out from the island he could barely see and swept past him. Now he understood.

He'd felt this before, years and years past back when he was still of Konoha. This sensation, it chilled him to the bone. But to be honest, it was also something he'd been waiting years for, ever since that missing week in the Land of Iron.

XXXXX

Yamato, frankly, could barely keep up with Kakashi and Mura. He couldn't even rely on his eyes properly, instead just having to feel the flow as he conducted his constructs with his hands. That white creature would swat them aside, thick branches and wood sturdy enough to deflect sword blades. However, that led to the two wraiths flitting from the sides or above to strike.

A thunderbolt that was Kakashi came from above, tearing through the trees Yamato had grown and barely missing the thing that Orochimaru had unleashed. However, the creature had little time to evade Mura who ran along the branches cropping up everywhere. Like a white shinigami his blades came down, scything through wood and finally landing a blow on the creature. The creature didn't bleed, but seemed to smoke. Nonetheless its shriek indicated that Mura clearly had an effect on it.

Angered, the creature lashed out. The backlash from its swipe carved a path through the air and reduced entire trees to mulch. Mura was blown back just from the displacement of air, stumbling as he tried to regain his footing.

The creature hit Mura, ghastly nails that were more like talons digging into his ribs. However, at that moment, Mura gripped onto the creature's arms like he wouldn't let go.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YA WAITIN' FOR!?"

Everyone there didn't need another push. Everything they had was unleashed onto the beast Mura had in a death grip. And with it came light. Terrible, blinding light.

XXXXX

"Well, they did alright despite themselves." Zetsu said, seeing the finale to the bizarre skirmish that had been going on. "And…"

He caught a glimpse of something scattering away from Uzushio, a mere flicker on the horizon.

"It's going away from us." He finished.

"Bah, more walking, eh?" Kisame replaced Samehada on his back, not enthusiastic on trekking cross-country to find their mark. "Too bad you were the only one able to see anything, Zetsu."

"It was most thrilling, I can assure you." He turned to Itachi. "Your brother did not do so well against Naruto."

"I thought that would go without saying." Itachi was already on the move, having grown bored of the island scuffle some time ago.

The three went eastward towards their target. However, Itachi took a subtle glance at the horizon, not enough for even Zetsu or Kisame to notice. And one thought rang in his head.

_You never cease to amuse me, old friend_.

XXXXX

Usuba no Miwa: Garden of the Antlion

Kujira no Hou: Whale's Cannon

Mori no Ori: Prison of the Forest


	26. Vortex Scroll 13

Scroll 13: Uncertainty

Iga raced to the scene as soon as he heard that last report. The three teenagers lagging behind him, the amorous monk ran as fast as he could back to the temple where the fighting had been taking place. What really worried him was the silence going on afterward. He hoped it wasn't an ill sign.

He came screeching to a halt at the formerly masked grounds, observing the destruction having been wrought in the last few minutes. Yamato's trees lingering about, small fires smoldering here and there, and huge tracts of ground torn asunder, it was like every natural disaster known to man had occurred all at once. It was little wonder Iga couldn't see anyone.

"Mura!" He yelled. No response came. Not good, the last thing he needed was to report that to Youko. She'd have his guts for garters within an hour. "MURA! KAKASHI! YAMATO! ANKO-SAN!"

A downed tree nearby flew as something moved in the rubble. The figure stood up, clothes ragged.

"I heard ya the first fuckin' time, boy-o." Mura looked at his ruined longcoat. "Shit, I sure as hell ain't doin' that again fer awhile, if just fer the sake of makin' my damn clothes last."

"Man, I heard Orochimaru was strong, but I didn't think he was this bad."

"Not him." Iga wasn't sure he heard that right.

"What?"

"Do ya need to getcher damn ears checked, I said it wasn't him. It was something way worse."

"That's possible?"

"Somehow. C'mon, we need to clear away this crap. The others are bound to be buried."

XXXXX

The group rummaged through the wreckage and found the rest of the team. Anko woke up the second they found her while Kakashi and Yamato were out cold. They were brought into the main hall of the temple so Iga and Sakura could examine them.

Kabuto and Orochimaru were nowhere to be seen, no doubt having sneaked out in the interim between the end of the fight and Iga arriving. Anko cursed up a storm for five minutes straight before getting around to explaining what she and Kakashi had barged in on with Mura corroborating her story. Everyone who hadn't been in attendance just looked at the two of them like they were nuts.

"A being of light?" Iga tilted his head at his partner.

"Yeah, like she said, it was some kinda creature made o' energy or somethin'. I could give a fuck less what it was, just that we needed to beat its ass before you had to take home what was left of us in a bento box." Mura glanced at Sasuke who was sitting in the corner. "Have anything to contribute to the class, or are ya just gonna sit there with yer thumb up yer ass?"

"I don't know anything about that. Orochimaru was just here to get his arms back. No more, no less."

"Maybe something messed up happened with the ritual." Anko had a thorough knowledge of what it entailed. "After all, that wasn't the first time the sealing ritual had been used, so any manner of things could have been sealed in there."

"Though the question is how and why." Sakura was done treating Yamato and Kakashi, the two men exhausted but in no danger. "According to what Sensei told me, aside from the Third using it to seal Orochimaru's arms there was only one other time they knew of where the seal was made."

Every Leaf ninja in the room fell silent. Only one other time. And it was one they all had heard or witnessed. And the only one who had been there personally when the seal was made was incapable of elaborating, for he hadn't even been a day old when the Fourth Hokage etched that spiral seal on his abdomen. Naruto glanced down.

Fourth, what the hell happened that day?

XXXXX

Night fell, the storm still keeping up despite hours having passed. Anko and Mura went out to check the surrounding area, hoping to find any signs of Orochimaru or the creature. The kids dozed off almost as soon as Mura and Anko left, the three of them worn out from the day's events. Iga sighed. No doubt Naruto had been thinking his reunion with Sasuke would be a lot more dramatic, but instead they just around awkwardly before falling asleep without saying a word.

"Kids…" He said as he scanned one of the scrolls he'd acquired that had thankfully been spared from the backlash of the fight earlier.

"Still poring over those musty old things?" Anko had returned, her hair and coat wet from the rain.

"Hey, I came all this way and I'll be damned if I lose them. What about Orochimaru?"

"Unfortunately you're going to have to hitch a ride with us."

"Figures our boat would get stolen. What about Mura?"

"Currently doing an impression of the world's most pissed off chimney." Anko cast a glance at the youths of Team Seven, all of them sleeping peacefully. "So the old snake left the kid behind. That's about the same way it happened to me."

Anko rubbed the back of her neck unconsciously, getting Iga's attention. The second she felt him tug at the collar of her coat she flinched, having to knowingly stop herself from reaching for her kunai.

"S-sorry, I'm just not used to people doing that."

"Why do you have that habit? Is it chronic pain?"

She had nothing to be ashamed of; it was just the two of them. The Jounin lowered her collar a bit, showing a seal similar to the one Sasuke had. Iga heard what it could do, both from Naruto and from Jiraiya. It was a strange seal, similar to blood-based techniques he'd studied in texts back at the monastery.

"How long have you had this?"

"Fifteen, sixteen years maybe. That fucking bastard just left me to rot in the middle of the forest."

"Did it hurt?" Anko shuddering told him enough. He examined it closer, taking out a light so he could get a better idea of it. "You know, I'd need my tools to do it, but I'm pretty sure I could get rid of this without any adverse effects."

"Hm, you do that and I'll let you wine and dine me for the next decade."

"Well, I didn't expect compensation, but that's definitely an incentive for me to give it my all." His bravado made Anko grin.

XXXXX

Sasuke woke sometime after dawn. He had been planning on waking up far sooner, but no amount of discipline would keep his body from recuperating after the strain of the previous day's events. His limbs felt like they were filled with lead and his body refused to move despite commanding it to do so. He drifted in and out of sleep for a few minutes, dozing off into a haze before his eyes lazily opened. After an untold amount of time doing that he threw off the sleeping bag he'd been using and was exposed to the crisp autumnal air. He shivered a bit and surveyed his surroundings. Everyone was asleep, Sakura and Iga next to Kakashi and Yamato while Anko propped herself up against a nearby wall and Naruto slept soundly in his own sleeping bag.

Sasuke's gaze darted around the room, finding no trace of Mura anywhere. That was going to make things difficult if he was up.

He couldn't stay any longer. Orochimaru and Kabuto were likely halfway back to a hideout at this point and he couldn't lag behind. All he had to do now was steal the other boat and get back to the mainland. The Uchiha took another glance back at his old comrades.

He couldn't go back to Konoha. He didn't dislike his time in his team, having learned the basics of how to fight, how to survive, how to work as a team. He learned a lot of things and he was truly grateful for that.

But it wasn't enough, not for what he had to do. He needed more than tricks or techniques he needed power and he needed it quickly. He wouldn't have any freedom going back to Konoha and he couldn't afford that. He made his choice and he couldn't go back.

Sasuke took a glance out of the doorframe and saw the silver-haired swordsman standing about ten meters away, a wisp of pipe smoke curling upward. He was so irresponsible, Sasuke could probably snap his neck without him noticing. He could hear the man mumbling to himself as he attempted to sneak around, looking for obvious blind spots.

"Fuck, Ma, I think I have just about the weirdest fuckin' luck ever. Think I can take it easy fer once and suddenly the worst memory I've got comes croppin' back up." What the hell was he talking about? "A fuckin' Deva, is this what you meant by seein' God, Itachi?"

Sasuke stumbled and broke his chance of sneaking out quietly. Mura turned his attention to the Uchiha.

"Brat, couldn't ya at least wait until we hit the mainland to try sneakin' off? I already yanked the spark plugs outta the motor last night so yer only option would be to swim back."

"How do you know Itachi?"

"I gotta quit talkin' to myself." Mura knocked the ash out of his pipe. "C'mon, it's too early in the mornin' to start with anythin' heavy."

"Hey, I asked you a question!"

"And I ain't givin' an answer." Mura was stopped in his tracks, feeling Sasuke having a firm grip on his bicep. "Let. Go."

"Mura, I kept wondering time and time again where I heard that name. It's you isn't it? You're Masamune's son."

"Really, now ya gotta get all talkative? 'Sides, we ain't gonna be able to get to that, Brat."

"Huh?"

"Sasuke…kun…"

Sakura was in the doorframe, rubbing dreariness out of her eyes. She looked at Mura and Sasuke.

"Did something happen, Mura-san?"

"Takin' a leak so I kept an eye on 'im."

"Gross…" She stretched, clearly just as stiff from yesterday. "Should I get everyone else up?"

"Let 'em wake when they feel like it, it was rough yesterday."

"Okay, but I think I can start breakfast for the three of us at least." She went back inside.

Mura cast his glance at Sasuke, silver eyes boring into black ones. Sasuke didn't know anyone who knew Itachi on a personal level, all of them being dead from the massacre. Not even Kakashi, his brother's old superior in the ANBU knew him that well. This man though, what did he know? Mura sighed, leaning in close to Sasuke.

"Now is a bad time, but I will tell you about me and Weasel Boy next time we get a chance alone, but only on two conditions."

"Name them."

"Go home. And don't ever make that girl cry again."

Once again their eyes met. Sasuke knew what this meant and how heavy of a price it was. Back to Konoha, under heavy surveillance, it wasn't ideal. But this man, there was something in Sasuke's gut telling him to follow through with this. He nodded. Mura started walking back into the temple.

"Who…" Mura stopped, looking back at Sasuke. "Who…are you?"

"Hodaishi, Hodaishi Muramasa." They didn't say anything more to each other, not even when they left the island and Sasuke was officially brought to Konoha.

XXXXX

Tsunade looked over the official report given to her by Kakashi the day after the team came back, dragging with them Jiraiya's "apprentice" Iga. Even after reading it three or four times it still sounded bizarre. They failed at the primary objective, succeeded at a secondary one, and then got in a fight not with Orochimaru but a…something. It was barely noon and she was already in dire need of a drink.

"What do you think, Jiraiya?" She asked her old friend, tossing the report onto the other side of her desk.

"Sounds like a grade-A clusterfuck alright." Jiraiya didn't even bother reading it. "Just like Orochimaru to screw things up."

"To be frank, you know more about Uzushio than I do despite my grandmother being from there. What did they wake up?"

"I have absolutely no idea. And that isn't good."

No it wasn't. Whatever the hell that thing was, it gave the Fifth Hokage a strange anxiety. Something was in the back of her mind, nagging her about it. She bit the nail of her thumb, almost enough to pierce through. It seemed like when one issue was resolved another cropped up in its place. There was gonna be more paperwork after this.

A knock came at the door followed by Shizune peeking her head in.

"Is now a good time?"

"Nothing new Shizune. I take it Sasuke is doing fine?"

"As well as can be, considering."

"I didn't think it was possible other than beating him half to death."

"Well it happened somehow. We're keeping an eye on him though." Tsunade looked at the file again. "No visitors except Kakashi and he's being held under 'round-the-clock surveillance in the maximum security ward."

"Harsh for the last heir of the Uchiha."

"His family's name does not exempt him from responsibility." The Hokage closed the folder more forcefully than before. "And like an asshole he refuses to talk much."

"He will eventually. He's still got a mission after all."

XXXXX

Mura had decided to stay behind in the nearest town instead of going into Konoha along with Iga. He still gave his report as was obligated of him to the village, but he went like a bat out of hell as soon as he was finished.

"So you're stayin' a few more days?" He asked Iga on the phone.

"Yeah, I promised Anko-san I'd do something for her. Plus Naruto's birthday is coming up and I might as well stay for that."

"I'm not stayin' in this place ferever, I got things to do y'know."

"Go right ahead, Sensei and I were plannin' a little trip anyway. Just drop what I found off at the temple on your way back."

"So that's why ya left the bag."

"Give Youko, Himiko, and the old man my regards. See ya when I see ya."

"Later."

Mura hung up and finished off the dish of sake left at his table. Criminy, Iga always did things by ear far too much. At least the trip back was just a train ride, if a very long one. He thought about swinging by a shop to get something to read along the way. A knock came on his room door.

"Yeah?" The door slid open, showing the maid.

"Hodaishi-san, we received something at the front desk for you." She gave him an envelope

That was never a good sign. The thing was unmarked and the paper was high quality, like something a wedding invitation would be printed on. Elegant calligraphy was on it, saying a simple message:

Congratulations, old friend

That little…

"Didja get a look at the guy?"

"No, I was tending to laundry at the time, sorry."

"It's alright." The maid left him be. He read the note again, almost finding it to be a mockery. The first time he hears from that bastard in years and he's toying with him. "Weasel Boy…"


	27. Vortex Epilogue

Epilogue

"So that was Mura." Kisame said as he, Itachi, and Zetsu went through the forest. Kisame had always been eager to catch a glimpse of the silver-haired swordsman. "A pity I couldn't see him in action. What was that you gave him anyway?"

"Just some words to an old friend. I haven't had a chance to write him for years."

"Was he the one who…?"

"Yes, he was with me. I still wonder what exactly he saw."

"We're here." Zetsu informed Itachi.

An old, abandoned villa stood before them, its frame rotting and its doors ripped apart from the elements. A fire was burning inside.

"My, you sure took your sweet time." Purred a throaty, feminine contralto from behind Itachi. "I was starting to think you'd never show up."

Itachi could feel the owner of the voice drawing circles on his back with her finger. Chizuki was always too intimate for her own good. Itachi stepped away from her, keeping her in sight. The only color on her pale, delicate face was on her ruby-red lips and teal eyes. The rest of her was white as a sheet, long, ivory hair reaching to her waist and skin that made it look like she had been carved from a hunk of marble or constructed from porcelain. She was by far the most petite member of the Akatsuki, not quite reaching Itachi's shoulders. Despite that, her eyes alone told anyone with a brain just how dangerous she was.

She grinned at Itachi stepping away from her, looking up at the Uchiha's fiery red eyes with their unique irises. She prowled around him, like a cat stalking a meal. And like a cat she always liked to play with her meals.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, sweetheart?" She licked her lips, tongue dancing around sharp canines. "Don't worry, I can be _extra_ gentle if you ask "

"Enough Chizuki, he's not buying it." Another voice came, low and gravelly, one Itachi had known for quite some time. "My apologies for my partner, Itachi-kun."

"I'm used to it, Senpai."

A man stepped out from the building, his wild, flaxen hair refusing to stay in one place for long. Whenever Itachi saw the man he was reminded of a lion, Chijuu's thick sideburns only adding to the image. He was tall, but lacked the mass of Kisame and especially Kin-ki. Across his throat was a headband, one of Konoha with its mark slashed.

"Alright, now you're all here."

Pain's voice came, having kept hidden until now. He came out of the building behind Chijuu, along with another, someone Itachi rarely saw. A woman, tall as Itachi with a demure face and dressed in pure white exited. Her red hair was freakishly long, at least knee length and her eyes were closed. Everyone stiffened at seeing her.

"Holika-san." Itachi nodded to her.

"Itachi-kun, do you have it?" Long fingers extended out for the parcel Itachi had been carrying. She unwrapped it, revealing a metal jar. She caressed it delicately. "Thank you, Itachi-kun."

"I'm sorry we couldn't get him back in pristine condition."

"That would be impossible. It will take longer than I would like, but he'll be back in due time." She turned to Pain who had been silent. "We also have another, pressing matter to attend to, isn't that right Pain?"

"Chijuu, Itachi, tell me what you know of the Byakugan."

**To be Continued**

**Nindo: The Northern Star.**

XXXXX

Author's Notes: Well...that ended way differently than I imagined. And took a helluva lot longer than expected. Originally the ending was supposed to be more in line with the Rescue Sasuke Arc from the manga, but what's the point in reiterating things everyone already knows?

As you can probably tell, Iga and Mura will be serving as major characters in the coming arcs, the latter in particular. I wasn't planning on Mura hijacking the plot so severely so early, but unfortunately one thing led to another and he came to the forefront before I knew what was happening. Still, it made for a way to introduce him and give some mysteries about him (and trust me he has a _lot_). Now onto Arc 3


End file.
